[Title 33 CFR D]
[Code of Federal Regulations (annual edition) - July 1, 2005 Edition]
[Title 33 - NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS]
[Chapter I - COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)]
[Subchapter Nn - DEEPWATER PORTS]
[Part 149 - DEEPWATER PORTS: DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND EQUIPMENT]
[Subpart D - Firefighting and Fire-Protection Equipment]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


33NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS22005-07-012005-07-01falseFirefighting and Fire-Protection EquipmentDSubpart DNAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERSCOAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)DEEPWATER PORTSDEEPWATER PORTS: DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND EQUIPMENT
          Subpart D_Firefighting and Fire-Protection Equipment



Sec. 149.400  What does this subpart apply to?

    This subpart applies to all deepwater ports with the exception of an 
unmanned port consisting of a submerged turret loading (STL) or 
comparable configuration in which cargo transfer operations are 
conducted solely aboard the tank vessel by the vessel crew.



Sec. 149.401  What are the general requirements for firefighting and 
fire-protection equipment?

    Each deepwater port must comply with the requirements for 
firefighting and fire-protection equipment in this subpart.



Sec. 149.402  What equipment must be approved by the Coast Guard?

    Except as permitted under 149.403, 149.415 (c) or (d), 149.421 (a), 
or 149.422, all required firefighting and fire-protection equipment on a 
deepwater port must be approved by the Commandant (G-MSE). Firefighting 
and fire-protection equipment that supplements required equipment must 
also be approved by the Commandant (G-MSE)

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unless approval by the OCMI is requested and granted pursuant to 149.403 
of this subpart.



Sec. 149.403  Use of alternate firefighting, fire prevention equipment, 
or procedures.

    (a) The operator may request the use of alternate equipment or 
procedures for those required in this subchapter.
    (b) Upon request, the OCMI may allow the use of alternate equipment 
or procedures if they will:
    (1) Accomplish the purposes for the requirement; and
    (2) Provide a degree of safety equivalent to, or greater than, that 
provided by the requirement.
    (c) The OCMI may require that the requesting party:
    (1) Explain why applying the requirement would be unreasonable or 
impracticable; or
    (2) Submit engineering calculations, tests, or other data to 
demonstrate how the requested alternative would comply with paragraph 
(b) of this section.
    (d) The OCMI may determine, on a case-by-case basis, that Commandant 
(G-MSE) must approve the use of the alternate equipment or procedure.

                        Firefighting Requirements



Sec. 149.404  Can I use firefighting equipment for which there is no 
Coast Guard standard?

    A deepwater port may use firefighting equipment for which there is 
no Coast Guard standard, as excess equipment, if the equipment does not 
endanger the port or the persons aboard in any way. This equipment must 
be listed and labeled by a nationally recognized testing laboratory and 
it must be maintained in good working condition.



Sec. 149.405  How are fire extinguishers classified?

    (a) Portable and semi-portable extinguishers on a manned deepwater 
port must be classified using the Coast Guard's marine rating system of 
combination letter and number symbol. The letter indicates the type of 
fire that the extinguisher is designed to extinguish, and the number 
indicates the relative size of the extinguisher.
    (b) The letter designations are as follows:
    (1) ``A'' for fires in ordinary combustible materials where the 
quenching and cooling effects of quantities of water, or solutions 
containing large percentages of water, are of first importance;
    (2) ``B'' for fires in flammable liquids, greases, or other thick 
flammable substances, where a blanketing effect is essential; and
    (3) ``C'' for fires in electrical equipment where the use of a non-
conducting extinguishing agent is of first importance.
    (c) The number designations for size range from ``I'' for the 
smallest extinguisher to ``V'' for the largest. Sizes I and II are 
portable extinguishers. Sizes III, IV, and V are semi-portable 
extinguishers which must be fitted with suitable hose and nozzle or 
other practicable means so that all portions of the space concerned may 
be covered. Examples of size graduations for some of the typical 
portable and semi-portable extinguishers are set forth in table 149.405.

                             Table 149.405--Portable and Semi-portable Extinguishers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   Carbon dioxide        Dry chemical kilograms
      Classification type-size         Foam liters (gallons)     kilograms (pounds)             (pounds)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-II................................  9.5 (2.5)..............  ......................  2.25(5) \1\
B-II................................  9.5 (2.5)..............  6.7 (15)..............  4.5 (10)
C-II................................  .......................  6.7 (15)..............  4.5 (10)
B-IV................................  7.6 (20)...............  22.5 (50).............  13.5 (30)
B-V.................................  15.2 (40)..............  45 (100) \2\..........  22.5 (50) \2\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
\1\ Must be specifically approved as a type ``A,'' ``B,'' or ``C'' extinguisher.
\2\ For outside use, double the quantity of agent that must be carried.


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Sec. 149.406  What are the approval requirements for a fire extinguisher?

    All portable and semi-portable fire extinguishers must be of an 
approved type under 46 CFR part 162, subparts 162.028 and 162.039, 
respectively.



Sec. 149.407  Must fire extinguishers be on the deepwater port at all 
times?

    (a) On a manned deepwater port, the fire extinguishers required by 
149.409 to this subpart must be on the deepwater port at all times.
    (b) On an unmanned deepwater port, the fire extinguishers required 
by 149.409 to this part need be on the deepwater port only when 
personnel are working on the deepwater port during cargo transfer 
operations or performing maintenance duties.



Sec. 149.408  What are the maintenance requirements for a fire 
extinguisher?

    All fire extinguishers must be maintained in good working order and 
serviced annually in accordance with 46 CFR 107.235.



Sec. 149.409  How many fire extinguishers are needed?

    Each particular location must have the number of fire extinguishers 
required by table 149.409.

    Table 149.409--Portable and Semi-Portable Extinguishers, Minimum
                          Quantity and Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Minimum quantity
              Space                 Classification       and location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Safety Areas:
    (1) Communicating corridors.  A-II..............  One in each main
                                                       corridor or
                                                       stairway not more
                                                       than 150 feet
                                                       apart.
    (2) Radio room..............  C-II..............  One outside of or
                                                       near each radio
                                                       room exit.
(b) Accommodation Spaces: (1)     A-II..............  One in each
 Sleeping quarters.                                    sleeping space
                                                       for more than
                                                       four persons.
(c) Service Spaces:
    (1) Galleys.................  B-II or CII.......  One for each 2,500
                                                       square feet or
                                                       fraction thereof
                                                       for hazards
                                                       involved.
    (2) Storerooms..............  A-II..............  One for each 2,500
                                                       square feet or
                                                       fraction thereof
                                                       located near each
                                                       exit, either
                                                       inside or outside
                                                       of the space.
    (3) Paint room..............  B-II..............  One outside each
                                                       paint room exit.
(d) Machinery Spaces:
    (1) Gas-fired boilers.......  B-II OR C-II......  Two.
    (2) Gas-fired boilers.......  B-V...............  One.\1\
    (3) Oil-fired boilers.......  B-II..............  Two.
    (4) Oil-fired boilers.......  B-V...............  Two.\1\
    (5) Internal combustion or    B-II..............  One for each
     gas turbine engines.                              engine.\2\
    (6) Electric motors and       C-II..............  One for each two
     generators, both of the                           motors or
     open type.                                        generators.\3\
(e) Helicopter Areas:
    (1) Helicopter landing decks  B-V...............  One at each access
                                                       route.
    (2) Helicopter fueling        B-V...............  One at each fuel
     facility.                                         transfer
                                                       facility.\4\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Not required if a fixed system is installed.
\2\ If the engine is installed on a weather deck or is open to the
  atmosphere at all times, one B-II may be used for every three engines.
\3\ Small electrical appliances, such as fans, are exempt.
\4\ Not required if a fixed foam system is installed in accordance with
  paragraph of this part.



Sec. 149.410  Where must a portable or semi-portable fire extinguisher 
be located?

    All portable and semi-portable fire extinguishers under table 
149.409 must be located in the open so as to be readily seen.



Sec. 149.411  What are the requirements for fireman's outfits?

    (a) Each manned deepwater port with nine or more persons must have 
at least two fireman's outfits complying with 46 CFR 108.497.
    (b) The person in charge of safety must ensure that:
    (1) At least two people trained in the use of fireman's outfits are 
on the deepwater port at all times;

[[Page 217]]

    (2) Each fireman's outfit and its spare equipment are stowed 
together in a readily accessible container or locker; that no more than 
one outfit is stowed in the same container or locker and that the two 
containers or lockers are located in separate areas to ensure that at 
least one is available at all times in the event of a fire; and
    (3) Fireman's outfits are not used for any purpose other than 
firefighting.



Sec. 149.412  How many fire axes are needed?

    Each manned deepwater port must have at least two fire axes per 46 
CFR 108.499.



Sec. 149.413  On a manned deepwater port, what spaces require a fixed 
fire-extinguishing system?

    The manned deepwater port spaces or systems listed in paragraphs (a) 
through (c) of this section must be protected by an approved fixed-
gaseous, or other approved fixed-type, extinguishing system.
    (a) Paint lockers of capacity in excess of 200 cubic feet and 
similar spaces containing flammable liquids.
    (b) Galley range or deep fat fryer.
    (c) Each enclosed space containing internal combustion or gas 
turbine machinery, with an aggregate power of more than 1,000 B.H.P., 
and any associated fuel oil units, purifiers, valves, or manifolds.



Sec. 149.414  What are the requirements for a fire-detection and alarm 
system?

    (a) All accommodation and service spaces, on a manned deepwater 
port, and all spaces or systems of a deepwater port that process, store, 
transfer, and re-gasify liquefied natural gas, must have an automatic 
fire-detection and alarm system. The system must either comply with 46 
CFR 108.405 or be designed and installed in compliance with a national 
consensus standard, as that term is defined in 29 CFR 1910.2, for fire-
detection and fire alarm systems, and that complies with standards set 
by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, as that term is defined 
in 29 CFR 1910.7, for such systems or hardware.
    (b) Sleeping quarters must be fitted with smoke detectors that have 
local alarms and that may, or may not, be connected to the central alarm 
panel.
    (c) Each fire-detection and fire alarm system must have a visual 
alarm and an audible alarm at a normally manned area.
    (d) Each fire-detection and fire alarm system must be divided into 
zones to limit the area covered by a particular alarm signal.



Sec. 149.415  What are the requirements for a fire-main system on a 
manned deepwater port?

    (a) Each pumping platform complex must have a fixed fire-main 
system. The system must either:
    (1) Comply with 46 CFR 108.415 through 108.429; or
    (2) Comply with a national consensus standard, as that term is 
defined in 29 CFR 1910.2, for such systems and hardware and comply with 
the standards set by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, as that 
term is defined in 29 CFR 1910.7, for such systems and hardware.
    (b) If the fire-main system meets the requirements outlined in 
paragraph (a)(2) of this section, it must provide, at a minimum, 
protection to:
    (1) Accommodation spaces;
    (2) Accommodation modules;
    (3) Control spaces; and
    (4) Other areas frequented by port personnel. The hose system must 
be capable of reaching all parts of these spaces without difficulty.
    (c) The fire-main system, under paragraph (a)(2) of this section, 
may be part of a firewater system in accordance with 30 CFR 250.803.
    (d) A fire-main system for a natural gas deepwater port must also 
comply with 33 CFR 127.607.

[USCG-1998-3884, 69 FR 746, Jan. 6, 2004; 69 FR 3836, Jan. 27, 2004]



Sec. 149.416  What are the requirements for fire pumps?

    (a) Each manned deepwater port must have at least two independently 
driven fire pumps. Each pump must be able to simultaneously deliver two 
streams of water at a pitot tube pressure of at least 50 p.s.i/345 k.p.a 
(75

[[Page 218]]

p.s.i./520 k.p.a. for a natural gas deepwater port)--measured at the two 
most remote nozzles.
    (b) Each fire pump must have:
    (1) A relief valve on its discharge side that is set to relieve at 
25 p.s.i/173 k.p.a in excess of the pressure necessary to meet the 
requirement in paragraph (a) of this section;
    (2) A pressure gauge on its discharge side; and
    (3) Its own sea connection.
    (c) Fire pumps may only be connected to the fire-main system.
    (d) The fire pumps required by paragraph (a) of this section must be 
located in separate spaces and the arrangement of pumps, sea 
connections, controls, and sources of power must be such as to ensure 
that a fire, in any one space, will not put all of the fire pumps out of 
service.
    (e) The fire pumps must be capable of being started and stopped from 
outside the spaces in which they are located.



Sec. 149.417  What are the requirements for fire hydrants?

    (a) Fire hydrants must comply with 46 CFR 108.423.
    (b) A single length of fire hose, with an attached nozzle, must be 
connected to each fire hydrant at all times. If the hose is exposed to 
freezing weather, it may be removed from the location during freezing 
weather.
    (c) Each fire hydrant must have a shutoff valve.
    (d) Any equipment that is located in the same space as the fire 
hydrant must not impede access to the hydrant.
    (e) Each fire hydrant must have at least one spanner wrench at the 
fire hydrant.



Sec. 149.418  What are the requirements for fire hoses and fire nozzles?

    (a) Fire hoses must comply with 46 CFR 108.425 and be:
    (1) Prominently marked in accordance with 46 CFR 97.37-15; and
    (2) If in an exposed location, protected from freezing weather.
    (b) Each fire hose and nozzle must comply with 46 CFR 108.425 or a 
national consensus standard, as that term is defined in 29 CFR 1910.2, 
for such hose and nozzle and the standards set by a nationally 
recognized testing laboratory, as that term is defined in 29 CFR 1910.7, 
for such hose.



Sec. 149.419  What are the requirements for a dry chemical 
fire-suppression system?

    Each natural gas deepwater port must be equipped with a dry chemical 
system that meets the requirements of Sec. 127.609 to this chapter.



Sec. 149.420  What firefighting equipment must a helicopter landing 
deck on a manned deepwater port have?

    Each helicopter landing deck on a manned deepwater port must have 
the following:
    (a) A fire hydrant and hose located near each stairway access to the 
landing deck. If the landing deck has more than two stairway accesses, 
only two stairway accesses need to have a fire hydrant and hose. The 
fire hydrants must be part of the fire-main system; and
    (b) Portable fire extinguishers in the quantity and location as 
required in table 149.409.



Sec. 149.421  What fire-protection system must a helicopter fueling 
facility have?

    In addition to the portable fire extinguishers required under table 
149.409, each helicopter fueling facility must have a fire-protection 
system complying with 46 CFR 108.489.



Sec. 149.422  Can the water supply for the helicopter deck 
fire-protection system be part of a firewater system?

    (a) The water supply for the helicopter deck fire-protection system 
required under Sec. Sec. 149.420 or 149.421 may be part of:
    (1) The firewater system (installed in accordance with MMS 
regulations under 30 CFR 250.803); or
    (2) The fire-main system under Sec. 149.415.
    (b) If the water supply for the helicopter deck fire-protection 
system is part of an independent accommodation fire-main system, the 
piping design and hardware must be compatible with the system and must 
comply with the requirements for fire-mains in 46 CFR 108.415 through 
108.429.

[[Page 219]]



Sec. 149.423  What are the fire-protection requirements for escape routes?

    At least one escape route from an accommodation space or module to a 
survival craft or other means of evacuation, must provide adequate 
protection, in accordance with 46 CFR 108.133, for escaping personnel 
from fires and explosions. Additional requirements for escape routes are 
in subpart F of this part.



Sec. 149.424  What is the requirement for a previously approved 
fire-detection and alarm system on a deepwater port?

    An existing fire-detection and alarm system on a deepwater port need 
not meet the requirements in this subpart until the system needs 
replacing, provided it is periodically tested and maintained in good 
operational condition.