Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum publishes guidance on fire response

As a member of the Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum (VCSF) the Club is pleased to advise that the VCSF has now published “Fire Response – High Level Guidelines”. The VCSF recognises that dealing with vehicle fires on PCCs, PCTCs, RoRo, and Ro-Pax vessels is both dangerous and difficult to control.

The primary aim of these new guidelines is to reduce the risk to crew, passengers, the ship, its cargo and the marine environment, supporting the crew in being better prepared for the challenges of fighting vehicle fires and ultimately of enhanced onboard fire safety.

The Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum is a consortium of vessel operators, insurers and other industry experts, whose role is to promote safety on vessels designed to carry vehicles and at the ship/shore interface. The guidance is supported by industry bodies the International Group of P&I Clubs, the International Chamber of Shipping and the TT Club.

Operators are encouraged to consider these guidelines when reviewing their own firefighting response plans, in particular by optimising existing fixed firefighting systems to control vehicle fires early in their development.

Both the press release from the ICS, IGP&I and TT Club, together with the Fire Response – High Level Guidelines, are attached below for the Club’s members’ reference.