Page 140 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

SHIP CONST IWCTlON AND DAi\IAGE CONTROL 145

nccess without prior permission. Ventilation fittings mnrked with ''''hen other methods of communication fail. messengers must
a W (WILLIAM) are never closed. Those marked with a circle be used to relay orders and information. Messengers IllUSt learn
'·VILLlAM ma), be closed to limit air circulation in a space during how to get nrou11d the ship to all the repair part}' stations and other
a CUR attack. ZEBRA (marked with a Z) fitt ings within a capital arens.lvlessengers will often be given written messages for delivery,
D are called DOG-ZEBRA fittings; the), are closed ror darken ship. but they must also be able to deliver oral messages accurately.
It is the responsibility of nil hnl1ds to maintain whatcvcr material
condition has been set for the ship,
Fire and Firefighting

Any person aboard ship who discovers a fi re IllUSt give the alarm.
Damage Repairs
Another person must be notified to go for help. The fire report
llaule damage repair is cl11ergency action taken to keep the ship lllay be spread by any means, sllch as the telephone or other inter-
afloat and fighting. OrilJs and personal qualification training arc llill communication s),stem. Damagc control central is the head-
continuously done to teach cvcryone how to use damage control quarters area for fighting any fire. Once the alarm has sounded.
equipmeIlt. An important part of winning in n11y emergency is to nllyone nearby should act promptly to contain or e)..1inguish the
keep calm, remain alert. and work rapidly with the tools at hnnd, fire. Other personnel in the fire or repair party will arrive quickly
Unless the damage is very bnd, there is much thnt damage control on the scene with the necessary equipment to carryon the fight.
teams can do to kccp the ship afloat nnd read)' for action. Fire is a constant threilt ilboard ship. All nppropriate measures
Any rupture, break, or hole in the ship's outer hull plating below must be continually taken to prevent fi res. An)' fire of significant
the waterline can let in seawater. If flooding is not controlled, the size that does occur can threaten the survivability of the ship and
ship will sink. ' '''hen the underwater hull is pierced, there are onl)' everyone aboard. They may start from spontaneous combustion
two wa),s to control flooding. The first is to plug the holes; the sec- (self-generated heat), carelessness, hits by cllcmy shells or missiles,
ond is to establish and maintain flood bound<lfies llsing the water- explosio11, or collision. A fire Illust be controlled quickly, since it
tight compnrtmelltation in the ship so flooding will not spread, may Ciluse extensive damage or loss of the ship.
In order for a fire to occur, three physical requirements must
be met: there must be i1 burnable fuel, it IllllSt be heated eJlough to
Communications burn. and there must be enough oxygen to keep it burning, These
Good communications between dift-erent parts of the damnge three requirements form the fire triangle. whose sides consist of
control organizntion arc of vital importance. There are three main i l/e1, heat. and mygell. Removing any side of the triangle will result
communication systems used in the damage control organiz<ltion: ill extinguishing the fire (putting it out). Pirefighters must deter-
the geI1eml announcing system (usually called the I ivIC). sound- mine the best way to put a fi re ollt-in other words, which side of
powered telephones. nnd messengers. the triangle to remove. This is not "Iwa)'s an easy choice.
The l~'I C is not the primary means of tmnsmitting dalllnge Removing the fuel is often not possible. It could be done, how-
control information. but it is a way of getting orders. information, ever, in an instance where liquid fllel was being fed by a pipeline.
and alarms throughout the ship. It may be used to illlnOUnCe the Closing the valves would cut the now or the fuel, and the fire could
location of a bomb or shell hit, nre, or collision. then be allowed to burn itself Ollt. Sometimes combustible mate-
Emergency alnnns include the general alarm, lIsed to call the rials call be removed or soaked with water-another way of elimi-
crcw to general quarters because of impending enemy attack, and nating fuel.
gcncml qUilrters for fire, collision, and CDR attack. The general
alarm llsed for attack or fire is i1 series of single gong tones; the
chemical alarm is a steady tone signal; and the collision alarm COIl- OXYGEN
sists of a series of three pulses. with a short pause before the next
series. Battlc st<ltions are manned for all of the emergency alarms.
The ship's battlc circuits use sound-powered telephones. They
are the principal means of cOllllllunication throughout the ship.
Their advnntage over other systems is that they require 110 external
source of power other than the talker's voice. Each repair party has
its OWI1 circuit connecting it to damage control central. to its rov- ~ FUEL
ing patrols. ilnd tn other stntions in its area.

The fire triangle,