Marine Salvage, Firefighting and Lightening

Salvage and Marine Firefighting Regulations

Salvage and Marine Firefighting Requirements

The Coast Guard amended the vessel response plan salvage and marine firefighting requirements for tank vessels carrying oil (33 CFR Part 155) at the end of 2008, and later for non-tank vessels (33 CFR Parts 151, 155, and 160). These revisions clarify the salvage and marine firefighting services that must be identified in vessel response plans and set new response time requirements for each of the required salvage and marine firefighting services. The changes ensure that the appropriate salvage and marine firefighting resources are identified and available for responding to incidents up to and including the worst case discharge scenario.

Some of the requirements and content include:

Additional information regarding the Salvage and Marine Firefighting regulations can be found in the following documents:

Salvage

Any act undertaken to assist a vessel in potential or actual danger, to prevent loss of life, damage or destruction of the vessel and release of its contents into the marine environment.

Assessment & Survey

Remote assessment, structural stability, on-site salvage assessment and hull and bottom survey.

Stabilization

Includes plan development, emergency towing, Lightering, temporary repairs and diving support services

Specialized Salvage Operations

Includes plan development, subsurface product removal and heavy lift

Firefighting

Any firefighting related act undertaken to assist a vessel with a potential or actual fire, to prevent loss of life, damage or destruction of the vessel, or damage to the marine environment

Assessment & Survey

Remote assessment and on-site salvage assessment

Stabilization

External firefighting teams and external vessel firefighting systems