Fire pumps

(1) Every ship shall be provided with at least one independent power-operated fire pump capable of delivering a jet of water as required by regulation 62(4). Merchant Ships (Registration) 164 (2) In ships of 150 gross tonnage and above propelled by mechanical means such pump shall be operated by means other than the main propulsion machinery of the ship. (3) In ships of less than 150 gross tonnage propelled by mechanical means such pump may be driven by main propulsion machinery provided that the propeller shaft can be readily disconnected or that a controllable pitch propeller is fitted. (4) The main fire pump (or pumps operating together) shall be capable of delivering for fire fighting purposes, under the conditions and at the pressure specified in regulation 62(2), a quantity of water of Cd2 m3 / h, where– (a) C = 5 for ships required to be provided with more than one main fire pump and C = 2.5 for ships required to be provided with only one main fire pump; and (b) d = 1 + 0.066 / (L (B + D)) to the nearest 0.25, where– (i) L = length of the ship in metres on the summer load waterline from the foreside of the stem to the afterside of the rudder post. Where there is no rudder post, the length is measured from the foreside of the stern to the axis of the rudder stock. For ships with cruiser sterns, the length on the designed summer load waterline is the length from the foreside of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock if that be greater; (ii) B = greatest moulded breadth of the ship in metres; and Merchant Ships (Registration) 165 (iii) D = moulded depth of the ship in metres measured to the deck amidships, provided that in any such ship the total capacity of the fire pumps for fire-fighting purposes need not to exceed 180 m3/h. (5) Where two main fire pumps are required, the capacity of one of two such pumps shall not be less than 40% of their total (6) Sanitary, bilge, ballast or general service pumps may be accepted as the required fire pumps, provided that they are not normally used for pumping oil and that, if they are subject to occasional duty for transfer or pumping of oil fuel, suitable changeover arrangements are fitted. (7) Every fire pump shall be arranged to draw water directly from sea and discharge it into a fixed fire main, if any. However, in ships with high suction lifts, booster pumps and storage tanks may be installed, provided such arrangement satisfies all the requirements of this section. (8) Centrifugal pumps or other pumps connected to the fire main through which back flow could occur shall be fitted with non-return valves. (9) In ships propelled by mechanical means, if a fire in any one compartment can put all the fire pumps out of action, there shall be provided in a position outside such spaces an independently driven emergency fire pump which shall comply with the requirements of subregulation (1). (10) The emergency fire pump shall be capable of producing at least a jet of water of not less than 6 m from one hydrant and hose through a nozzle complying with the requirements of regulation 63(11)(a). Merchant Ships (Registration) 166 (11) In lieu of meeting the requirements of subregulation (9), in such ships of less than 150 gross tonnage operating in restricted area III, fire buckets may be permitted in lieu of the required pump. The number of fire buckets so provided shall be additional to the fire buckets required in regulation 67(2) and not less than two. (12) Where the fire pumps are capable of developing a pressure exceeding the design pressure of the fire mains, water service pipes, hydrants and hoses; relief valves shall be fitted. Such valves shall be so placed and adjusted as to prevent excessive pressure in the fire main system. (13) The pumps required for the provision of water for other fire extinguishing systems required by this Part, their sources of power and their controls shall be installed outside the space or spaces protected by such systems and shall be so arranged that a fire in the space or spaces protected will not put any such system out of action. (14) Where fire in any one compartment can put all the fire pumps out of action, there shall be an alternate means to extinguish the fire. This alternate means may be an emergency power operated fire pump. (15) An emergency power-operated fire pump shall be an independently driven self-contained pump either with its own prime mover and fuel supply fitted in an accessible position outside the compartment which maybe an emergency generator of sufficient capacity and which is positioned in a safe place outside the engine room and above the freeboard deck. (16) The emergency fire pump, sea suction and other valves shall be operable from outside the compartment containing the main fire pump and in a position not likely to be cut off by fire in that compartment. Merchant Ships (Registration) 167