Fire Station And Life Saving Store Checklist

Work From Figures Not Descriptions

Almost every deficiency raised against a life saving or fire fighting store comes down to a number that was never stated when the item was ordered. Buoyancy on a life jacket. Grade on reflective tape. Nominal size and coil length on fire hose. Component list on an outfit. Order against the figure and the inspection becomes a formality.

Life Saving Store

• Adult life jackets — the sheet lists the 5564 type at buoyancy not less than 11 kg and the 5666 type at not less than 10.5 kg
• Throw-over lifebuoys — listed at 2.5 kg and 4.3 kg
• Retro-reflective tape — silver SOLAS grade, 50 mm x 47.5 mtr
• Line throwing apparatus — Linethrower 250, comprising body, line and rocket
• Can openers for liferaft outfits — supplied 3 pcs per liferaft
• Whistles — steel

Fire Fighting Store

• Fire hose — nominal 40, 50 and 65 in 15, 20, 25 and 30 mtr coil lengths, each a separate code
• Fire hose boxes
• International shore connections and rubber packing for hose couplings
• Fire axes — pickhead with wood handle and pickhead with insulated handle
• Fireman's outfit — protective clothes in burn-proof fabric, breathing apparatus at 30 MPa and 6 L, safety belt, 40 m fireproof lifeline, portable explosion-proof lamp rated more than 3 hours, fire axe, boots and helmet
• Chemical protection suits — semi-tight firemen chemical protective suits with boots, hats and gloves, EC certificate attached

Order Components Not Whole Sets

A fireman's outfit is listed as a set with each component named. When one item in the set is consumed, damaged or out of date, replace that component. Replacing the whole outfit because the catalogue only offered a set is money that could have gone into the rest of the store.

Timing And Documentation

• Place the order against the survey date, not the requisition date
• Ask for the manufacturer certificate where the item carries one; do not accept a general assurance
• Record every catalogue code in the ship's inventory so next year is a repeat order
• Note what was consumed in drills — that is the part of the list nobody remembers three months later