NTSB Recommends Improved Land Firefighter Skills for Marine Vessel Fires

The National Transportation Safety Board recommended Tuesday that land-based firefighters be better prepared for marine vessel firefighting following a fatal fire on the roll-on/roll-off container vessel Grande Costa D’Avorio in Newark, New Jersey.

The Grande Costa D’Avorio was docked at Port Newark on July 5, 2023, when a vehicle used by shoreside workers to push used vehicles onto the vessel caught fire on an interior garage deck.

The ship’s captain ordered use of the vessel’s carbon dioxide extinguishing system, but the crew was unable to close a large rampway door because the control panel was located inside the fire protection zone (where the carbon dioxide would be released).

The lack of operating controls on the outside of the door prevented the crew from safely closing the door and directly led to the ineffectiveness of the fire extinguishing system, contributing to the fire’s duration and severity.

Two land-based firefighters died while attempting to put out the fire. Six additional emergency responders were injured during the firefighting and rescue operations. The damage to the vessel was estimated to be over $23 million.

Investigation Findings and Recommendations

The NTSB found that directing firefighters to enter the area where the CO2 extinguishing system had been activated, contrary to general marine firefighting convention, exposed firefighters to additional and unnecessary risk.

The Newark Fire Division was also not adequately prepared to respond to a vessel fire and lacked marine vessel firefighting training.

Investigators found the vessel fire resulted from the overheated transmission fluid of the pusher vehicle, a 2008 Jeep Wrangler, which boiled over and ignited on a hot engine surface.

The Jeep was a passenger vehicle, and not suitable for use as a power industrial truck because it did not meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, standards for a power industrial truck.

As a result of the investigation, the NTSB made recommendations to OSHA to inform their field personnel of the circumstances of the Grande Costa D’Avorio fire and provide guidance in proper enforcement of the powered industrial truck and emergency procedures requirements at marine terminals and during longshoring operations to assure safe and healthy working conditions.

The NTSB also made recommendations to various organizations to improve land-based firefighting departments’ marine vessel firefighting training and familiarity.

Safety Recommendations

To ensure that shoreside personnel are aware of what to do in the event of a fire on board a vessel, the NTSB recommended that Ports America and American Maritime Services develop policies for emergencies, including accounting for all employees.

In addition, the NTSB made recommendations to Grimaldi Deep Sea, the ship owner, to inventory all their vessels to identify all openings that are part of a fire boundary and modify their vessels so that the openings are capable of being closed from outside the protected space.

The NTSB also recommended that RINA Services, the vessel classification society, revise their procedures for review and approval of vessel plans to ensure that fire boundary openings to spaces protected by fixed gas fire extinguishing systems can be closed from outside the protected space.

The NTSB also recommended that the U.S. Coast Guard submit a proposal to the International Maritime Organization to clarify the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea regulation requiring that all openings capable of admitting air into or allowing gas to escape from a protected space can be closed from outside the protected space applies, regardless of their expected operational condition when in port or at sea.

Conclusion

The NTSB’s investigation into the Grande Costa D’Avorio fire highlights the importance of proper training and preparedness for land-based firefighters when responding to marine vessel fires. By implementing the recommended safety measures, future incidents can be prevented, and the safety of both crew members and emergency responders can be ensured.

The full report of the investigation will be available on the NTSB’s website in the coming weeks, providing detailed insights into the causes and recommendations arising from this tragic event.

Press Release