What Are the Requirements for Fire Extinguishers on Your Commercial Fishing Vessel?
The number of fire extinguishers required to be carried on a commercial fishing vessel is dependent upon the registered length of the vessel. The registered length of a commercial fishing vessel is the length shown on the vessel’s document or state registration form. All fire extinguishers must be properly mounted in their approved mounting brackets.
For vessel over 65 feet in length please contact a commercial fishing vessel safety examiner.
If your vessel is less than 26 feet in length you may not be required to carry fire extinguishers if:
• There are no enclosed compartments where portable fuel tanks can be stowed
• There are no enclosed living spaces
• There are no closed storage compartments in which flammables or combustibles may be stored and
• There are no permanently installed fuel tanks
Fire extinguishers are categorized according to their size and intended use. You may substitute one B-II fire extinguisher for two B-1 fire extinguishers.
Your fire extinguishers are required to be maintained in accordance with the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). This will help to ensure your fire extinguishers will perform as designed if needed. The maintenance requirements are listed below.
(1) Note many small Dry Chemical extinguisher are exempt from the 6 year servicing requirement, the fire extinguisher will have an NFPA note attesting to the exemption, they instead are required to be replaced at 12 years.
(2) The 5, 6, and 12 year maintenance of fire extinguishers must be conducted by a servicing facility. All other maintenance checks can be performed by the boat owner and the results should be maintained in a servicing log or on an attached servicing tag.
For more information or to schedule your free no strings attached voluntary dockside examination contact:
Kevin Plowman at 207-780-3256 cell 207-899-6278
or e-mail kevin.f.plowman@uscg.mil for vessels located between Seabrook, New Hampshire
and Rockland, Maine
or
Garry Moores at 207-838-4440 or e-mail fvexaminer@earthlink.net for vessels located between Calais, Maine and Rockport, Maine.