I read the article then went back and reread the article. Theres a few things that strike me about the article.
First, it almost seems like a pot stirring article on a real slow news day.
Second, the writer might want to go back and check a few facts. For 1, the last time I looked, a Nimitz class carrier, is no where near 225000 tons. The heaviest is still under 200000 tons the last time I looked. My cousin was stationed on 1 until recently. The heaviest is about 1100000 tons. Lengthwise maybe close to the same, but not displacement.
From a different standpoint, theres a few things that the writer seemed to miss. He talked with a few people who are concerned, but never really talked with builders and designers. Or fire suppression manufacturers whos equipment is on ships. Or the heads of security for cruiselines.
In someways, I do think that safety as a whole hasnt caught up with the size of ships today, in someways. However, theres a lot of things that are built into ships, that the average guest will never notice.
Security for 1. While security of a ship is still one of the most important considerations on a ship, in a lot of ways, ships are like mainland casinos. Youre being watched almost wherever you go. Theres probably hundreds if not thousands of cameras, both hidden and in plain view. I remember a bridge tour on the Magic where the security office was open, and there was a bank of cameras that was constantly monitored. What happens when an issue is observed, is a matter of debate. I do know that when my wife fell on the deck of the Wonder in 09, while we were walking the deck going towards the buffet, a ships security officer was next to us within a minute or so. Followed by the CD.
Fire safety. Most if not all cruiselines have their crews trained in multiple disciplines. A waiter for example might double as a lifeboat evacuation attendant. I talked briefly last week with a bartender, on the Fantasy, who was a fire team leader. I didnt get a chance to go back and talk to him though I definitely would love to. Another thing to look at is the current trend in SOLAS, is to build a ship with fire resistive and fireproof materials. Making fires harder to start and continue to burn is a really good thing. Another trend is the spinklerization of ships. There sprinklers everywhere. They are designed to put out a given amount of water over a given amount of area, after activation. (btw, hanging your laundry on a sprinkler is bad. If you knock the link or disc out, water will flow) When functioning properly, they will hold a fire in check if not put it out. Smoke detectors, while a pita for fire crews, are becoming more reliable. I know of at least 1 person who took a really hot shower, and got a call from the ships security office asking if everything was alright in the room. Apparently, she set off a heat detector. There is an unknown, and I wish that that article was printed 2 weeks ago before I went on the Fantasy, because I would have asked on board to find an answer.Otherwise, there are standpipes and FDCs all over the ship. I have a habit of looking for them.
Ill leave the Concordia alone. That horse has been beat to an unrecognizable pulp.
The Splendor. What a lot of people dont know, and was not made common knowledge, is that there was a lot of balls dropped,
long before that fire ever started. Anyone of them, could have lessened if not stopped the fire long before the power was cut to the entire ship.
GOS. From what I have seen, the fire crew onboard did an outstanding job stopping that fire at sea with no help from shoreside crews. I would love to see the after action report on that fire.
When a fire starts in a steel ship, heat builds up, and will continue to build up until long after the fire is out and lots of water is poured on the affected areas. Heat will travel and start fires in other unaffected areas of a ship. Like the crew areas above the deck where the fire apparently started. Or it could have dropped a deck also. Venting and extracting smoke and heat is even more problematic. Where shoreside, literally hundreds of firefighters can be called, and continue to arrive, in a short period of time, thats not true for a ship at sea. You might be lucky for another ship to arrive and offer support.
The only real issues that I can see as far as safety at sea, whether the ship is the Big Red Boat, or Allure of the Seas, is complacency. (the same is true on land also) Because true major emergencies, such as the Grandeurs fire, are extremely rare, most crews can spend their careers on ships and never see a fire, or experience the high heat and blinding smoke that comes with it. Yes, they go through "fire school" before they board a ship, and go back periodically, and the buildings they use may be hot, there is no substitute for actually dragging hoses down passageways, while trying to keep out of the worst heat, while still trying to put out a fire, or even get near it. We have a mantra where I work. Wet Stuff goes on the red stuff and we go home.
Another issue is the seeming party atmosphere, during the evacuation drill that even
DCL is condoning. I was on another cruiseline, which shall remain nameless. As they called out the rooms, you were supposed to answer Hot, Hot, Hot. Guess what. In a real emergency, Im not yelling hot hot hot. I want to know that the kid standing in front of me, actually understands that this isnt a game. They are playing with peoples lives by doing that. By doing away with the lifejackets during the drill also, all its going to take is for 1 person to get hurt or worse, because they didnt understand it or how to put it on, then watch the instant experts come running.
Common sense. Apparently there is a lack of it. I was talking with someone who was on the Fantasy hurricane cruise. They said the same things I did. If the Capt is coming over the ships loud speakers saying stay in your rooms, thats not the time to go get something to eat or complain to guest services. They are telling you this for a reason.
When is a ship too big? I honestly dont know the answer. If a ship is too big for a port, the line probably isnt going to send it there, if it cant be serviced. Port Canaveral last year comes to mind. Up until then, they did not have a pier big enough for the Oasis class ships. They do now and are planning on building another, and dredging the channel.
Just because a ship gets bigger, doesnt necessarily mean that safety is taking a back seat. Safety features on the ship are evolving, just as fast as the ships themselves.
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