Fire Extinguisher
Requirements
Fire extinguishers are required on boats
with:
• Inboard engines, and outboard boats
with closed compartments for storing
permanent or portable tanks
• Permanently installed fuel tanks
• Closed compartments or living spaces
Type B, gasoline or fuel fires, are the most
common type experienced on a boat, so that
is the type specified in the requirements.
Purchase only extinguishers certified
as Coast Guard approved by an independent
testing agency such as Underwriters
Laboratories, Inc. Look for the part of the
label that says “Marine Type USCG.”
The minimum number of portable
extinguishers required depends on the length
of the boat. Review Table 2-3 on page 27.
Fire Extinguisher Locations
Mount your extinguishers away from fire
hazards so that you will be able to get to
them safely. Make sure they do not project
into a busy passageway. Steering stations,
galleys, and passenger cockpits are logical
locations. If you sleep aboard, keep one
near your bunk.
Maintenance
• Check the gauges on your extinguishers
monthly to make sure they are at
full pressure. Gauges may occasionally be
unreliable. Be sure the discharge nozzle is
clean; insects love to build nests inside.
• Slowly rock your dry chemical extinguishers
from an upright to an upside down position
several times. If you feel a thud, the chemical
is stuck together and the extinguisher will no
longer function properly.
• Immediately replace and properly dispose
of old extinguishers. Size I and Size II can be
recharged. Check for corrosion or mechanical
damage to the extinguisher case. If they
are the rechargeable-type metal head—not
plastic—take them to a qualified fire extinguisher
service for an annual inspection.
How to Use a
Fire Extinguisher
The key to controlling a fire is to put it out
while it is still small. Your chances are better
if you have more than the minimum
required extinguishers. Use P.A.S.S. (Pull,
Aim, Squeeze, Sweep)
• Hold the extinguisher upright.
• P—Pull the safety pin, usually located
around the handle of the extinguisher
• A—Aim the fire extinguisher at the base
of the fire
• S—Squeeze the handle and begin to discharge
the extinguisher
• S—Sweep the extinguisher side to side
while aiming at the base of the fire until
the fire is out.
Many local fire departments provide practice
opportunities.
Never partially discharge extinguishers
to test them; they may leak and be unusable.
Always recharge or replace partially
discharged extinguishers. Purchase only
USCG approved extinguishers designed for
marine use.
VISUAL DISTRESS SIGNALS
CAUTION. Only INERT visual distress signaling
devices may be used as teaching aids
in the classroom environment. Federal law
requires that boats must be equipped with
USCG-approved visual distress signals (VDS):
• On coastal waters
• The Great Lakes
• Those waters connected directly to
coastal waters or the Great Lakes, up to a
point where the body of water is less than
2 miles wide.
They must be in serviceable condition and
readily accessible. Figure 2-10 illustrates
where VDS are required.
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