Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Stamer | 210802-N-CM740-1015 NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (August 3, 2021) - Culinary Specialist Seaman...... read more read more
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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (August 2, 2021) – On July 12, 2020, a fire erupted on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). The fire burned for four days despite Sailors’ damage control efforts. It was determined to cost billions of dollars and a minimum of five years to restore the ship to working condition, therefore the Navy decided to forego restoration and decommission the ship.
Almost one year to the date of the Bonhomme Richard fire, equipment caught fire on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), in the forward emergency diesel generator (EDG). Due to the vigilance of watch standers and the superb damage control knowledge of first responders, Sailors were able to contain the fire before any devastating damage to the ship was able to occur.
While watchstanders were conducting a routine rove, they discovered white smoke and charring on electrical equipment in the forward EDG. They immediately reported it as a casualty.
First responders, Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Silas Baum and Damage Controlman 3rd Class Antonio Fox, both assigned to the engineering department, and Chief Electrician’s Mate (Nuclear) Richard Smith, assigned to reactor department, arrived at the scene and began the initial voltage verification process.
The in-port emergency team (IET) responded to the casualty and control of the scene was turned over to the on-scene leader, a the member of the team that coordinates communication from the repair locker to IET.
Once the equipment was electrically isolated, ensuring that there was no danger of electrical shock, Baum opened the cabinet of the component, and Fox discharged CO2 onto the fire, putting it out.
The quick actions of knowledgeable Sailors made an enormous difference in combating the fire. In a span of five minutes, the first responders who arrived at the scene were able to quickly put out the fire.
Desmoking began and a reflash watch was posted. They isolated the incident before it got out of control.
“We are talking millions of dollars of damage,” said Chief Warrant Officer Marc Short, George Washington’s fire marshal. “We could have lost the entire forward end of the ship. If that had gone past the box that was initially on fire, within 30 minutes we would have a major fire at the entire forward end of the ship.”
A reading by the Navy Firefighting Thermal Imager (NFTI) determined the components were at a temperature over 300 degrees Fahrenheit, said Baum.
“We’ve had ruptured pipes and I’ve gotten covered in [fecal matter], but this was the most intense casualty I’ve been a part of,” said Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Jonathan Horak, the on-scene leader.
Adding even more fuel to this dangerous situation, the space contains JP5 which is a highly explosive and flammable material.
“I think this is one of those perfect examples of the importance of everybody having damage control knowledge,” said Baum. “If it weren’t for the knowledge of those watchstanders and response teams assigned to IET, then it could have gone completely South.”
Having the knowledge to combat any casualty doesn’t appear in a Sailor’s brain overnight. It takes daily training, even on weekends, to build and maintain a level of knowledge for the crew. The standard of knowledge is set by a carrier training manual and the responsibility to carry out the training falls on the ship’s fire marshal.
“Through the duty sections, I developed a training plan that follows the CV training manual and prepares them for actually casualties, improves knowledge, and gets them ready for inspections,” said Short. “I put together a schedule that shows what we are doing for training and drills for each particular day.”
Every day some type of damage control training takes place. All duty sections are rotated through a monthly schedule, so that everyone gets to experience different types of drills at least once, said Short.
“At the end of the day you have to put your best foot forward and get everybody ready for something that might happen,” said Short.
Thankfully, the crew of George Washington only has to imagine what could have happened if there wasn’t a consistent knowledge of damage control. Because of of the heroics of first responders and IET, the ship is still able to complete it’s refueling and complex overhaul tasks.
Damage control training continues daily led by Sailors like those who fought the fire. After all, a ship can never be too prepared for a casualty.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing.
| Date Taken: | 08.02.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.13.2021 20:52 |
| Story ID: | 403095 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS , VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 859 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Damage Control
Nimitz-class
