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Responding to a fire aboard a vessel such as a tug boat or oil tanker can be very different from responding to a fire on land. Most firefighters in Alaska's coastal communities are trained only for land-based response, but could be called upon to help with a marine fire in an emergency.

In early October, seventy-five professional firefighters gathered in Valdez to learn how to respond to a fire aboard a ship. The 2011 Marine Firefighting Symposium, sponsored by the council, provided hands-on training tailored to challenges faced in Alaska.

Photo: Small teams of attendees work together to haul fire hose into the lower level of the vessel Emerald Isle and to rescue a "victim" during the 2011 Marine Firefighting Symposium, hosted by the council October 4-6 in Valdez. Photo by Amanda Johnson.

Attendees came from port towns all over the state, including Anchorage, Juneau, Seldovia, Homer, Kenai, Nikiski, Seward, Kodiak, Unalaska, Whittier, and Valdez.
Several sponsorships enabled the council to provide this training at no cost to participants, including stipends for travel and textbooks.

Professional marine firefighting Captains Jeff Johnson and John Taylor coordinated the symposium and taught several topics. The two, along with council staff, spent nearly a year preparing for this event, incorporating feedback from previous symposiums and local stakeholders.

Besides techniques for fighting a fire aboard a ship, the curriculum included shipboard basics; familiarization with vessels and special fire plans; information on new regulations; differences between large vessels (such as oil tankers), cruise ships, small boats and marinas; politics of a marine accident such as a fire on board a ship; fire safety; coordination with ship's crew and professional marine industry firefighters; and potential environmental effects of a ship fire.

ConocoPhillips and Polar Tankers provided participants a tour of the tanker Polar Discovery at the Valdez container terminal, giving participants a chance to learn how complex a response to a fire aboard such a large vessel would be.

Photo: Southwest Alaska Pilots Association provided the pilot boat Emerald Isle for a hands-on exercise, allowing participants to practice fire response aboard a "smoky" boat in a safe setting. Photo by Amanda Johnson

Photo: A "Hollywood" smoke machine simulated a smoky atmosphere without danger of inhaling real smoke. Participants were able to experience how disorienting a fire response could be on a vessel with narrow halls and steep stairways. Photo by Amanda Johnson.

Photo by Amanda Johnson.

Photo: T & T Bisso staff demonstrate their portable firefighting water pump. Photo by Amanda Johnson.

T & T Bisso staff demonstrate their portable firefighting water pump. Photo by Alan Sorum.

Photo: The U.S. Coast Guard, along with help in planning and participating in discussion panels, also provided an opportunity for touring a Coast Guard vessel. Photo by Amanda Johnson.

Photo: Participants got a chance to see the inside of the tanker Polar Discovery. The interior of large oil tankers can be disorienting and full of hazards that a fire responder should be aware of. Photo by Alan Sorum.

Photo: The deck of the Polar Discovery. Photo by Alan Sorum.

Photo: All participants, instructors and industry representatives stand on the container dock in front of the tanker Polar Discovery. Photo by Amanda Johnson.

Many thanks to the generous sponsors, participating organizations, companies and individuals who made the 2011 Marine Firefighting Symposium possible: Polar Tankers/ConocoPhillips, the U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Response Alliance/Crowley, T&T Bisso, Donjon-SMIT, City of Valdez, Valdez Fire Department, Barry Roberts of Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Southwest Alaska Pilots Association, Karen Ables, Alaska Steamship Response, Offshore Systems, Resolve Marine Group, R&R Diving, Southeast Alaska Lighterage, Alaska Department of Public Safety and AVTEC.