Fire Where? The shore based unit I am with now is HMCS Brunswicker.
HMCS Chicoutimi had the last major fire.
Tonksy, were you in the navy?
Fire Drills! my favourite!
On ship we usually have one every day, sometimes one every two days.
Before we sail we get put through the damage control school, where we learn how to use the equipment,
how to fight fires, floods.
We do Nuclear, biological, chemical defense.
Sea survival, seamanship skills, and quite a bit more.
It is actually the most interesting course I have taken so far.
The most likely spot for a major fire would be one of the engineering spaces. I am a engineering rounds man, or "stoker" as we are referred to as. In the case of a fire myself or one of the others stokers would be sent down to fight the fire as the attack team leader because we are the most familiar with those spaces.
The breathing apparatus we use is called the "Cemox". The cartridges create oxygen through a chemical reaction. The big advantage in these units over compressed air tanks is that you can just grab one and go. You don't need any power for your air compressors.
ONE of the disadvantages is that you keep your air in two big "lungs" on your chest. If you crush these "lungs" you lose your air. If you lose your air you can't breath. Not good.
The American navy uses compressed air tanks, don't they?
Yarr, there me be. At the DC school last summer. The short one.