Fire is one of the major problems faced by mariners when at sea. Ships are susceptible to fire for various reasons. In case of a fire, the crew has to fight the outbreak with limited resources, which calls for expertise.

There might be a number of causes that could lead to a fire outbreak; some of the most common causes are air, fuel and heat. A faulty pipe in the boiler room, already warm and filled with fuel could cause a major outbreak of fire. Human negligence also plays a key role in such scenarios.

It is of utmost importance that every ship has been properly inspected and installed with appropriate fire safety equipment. Dipti fire services is a pioneer in this industry with more than 25+ years of experience in supplying, servicing and maintaining fire safety equipment on board marine vessels. For example: for the up keeping of the service equipment the operators generally employs rags which soak up excessive oil from the machinery and become highly inflammable. In such situations, the fire safety appliances such as fire extinguishers by Dipti fire services come into picture for the safety of both the vessel and its crew.

The presence of a heat- producing bacteria, thermophile, which breed in trash cans, is also a cause of fire onboard. If there is a buildup of the bacteria on board it can lead to trash can fires on the ships. Thus it is essential for ships to carry fire extinguishers and make sure the waste disposal is done according to the safety standards.

Cooking is an inevitable activity, and done on a large scale, slight human negligence can cause a fire onboard. Also repair work carried out on ships mostly includes welding which has a high possibility to cause a fire outbreak. Dipti fire services are a one stop unit for a ships safety requirement, with a strong reputation in delivering quality on-board services in Life Saving and Firefighting appliances.

Dipti Fire Services (DFS) is an ISO 9001: 2008 &Class Approved Workshop,offering full line of marine safety equipment and lifesaving and safety products and services. Headquartered in Mumbai, India, DFS caters to vessels that call at Mumbai, JNPT, Dahej, Kandla, Mundra, Jaigadh, Sikka, Goa, Mangalore, Vizag, Kakinada, Haldia, Paradip and all major ports in India.

Dipti Fire Services (DFS) implements a methodical framework that adheres to infallible safety standards, encompassing established benchmarks for Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) and Fire-Fighting Appliances (FFA). Standard procedures are followed to make sure that all safety equipment are in working condition. DFS recommends adoption of safety practices at an organizational level to ensure all-around awareness.

Why Dipti Fire Services?

• A one-stop solution for fire-fighting appliance (FFA) services, life-saving appliance (LSA) services for marine and offshore industry across major ports in India
• Reputed organization with globally benchmarked processes
• Affordable and reliable services
• Workshop presence at 3 major ports in India (Mumbai, Kandla and Kolkata)
• Efficient & reliable safety services as per international marine standards

Services offered by Dipti Fire Services (DFS)

• Supply and servicing fire extinguishers
• Supply and servicing fixed fire suppression systems and its components –
  • CO₂ extinguishing system
  • Dry powder system
  • Foam system
  • Clean agent system
  • Water mist system
• Supply and servicing self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and emergency escape breathing devices (EEBD)
• Supply and servicing immersion suits, life jackets and accessories
• Supply and inspection of chemical suits
• Supply and servicing of inflatable life-rafts of recognized manufacturers from across the world
• Supply and calibration of portable gas meters, gas detectors, pressure gauges, thermometer, UTI tapes, ODME & OWS.
• BA compressor servicing and air quality analysis
• Annual and five yearly inspection of life boats from recognized manufacturers across the world
• Inspection of marine electronics, communication, navigation equipment and radio surveys

Specialized services offered by Safety Service Station Private Limited (SSSPL)

DFS’s service station at Gujarat is compliant with IMO Resolution A.761 (18) and regulations of ‘Safety of Life At Sea Convention’. It caters to Sikka, Vadinar, Hazira, Dahej, Porbander, Kandla and Mundra. It offers following services:

• Life rafts servicing and certifications
• Life rafts on rental and exchange basis
• Inflatable rescue boat servicing and certification
• Hydrostatic release unit supply and servicing
• Calibration services

Specialized services offered by DFS East Coast Branch

Based at Kolkata, an extension of DFS offers quality services across the eastern coastal line – Haldia, Paradip, Chennai, Ennore, Vishakhapatnam and Kolkata. It offers services such as:

• Firefighting services (FFA)
• Life-saving services (LSA)
• Calibration services

It is important to understand that fire-safety is an extensive process and demands unrelenting attention to ‘man-machine’ coordination. It further assumes immense importance as any deviation can lead to huge disruption to business, clients and revenue, not to mention the impact on human lives onboard.

Dipti Fire Services (DFS) is an ISO 9001: 2008 compliant organization with a full line of Marine Safety Equipment and Life Saving & Safety products and services. Located in Mumbai, India, DFScaters to the vessels that call at Mumbai, JNPT, Dahej, Kandla, Mundra, Jaigadh, Sikka, Goa, Mangalore, Vizag, Kakinada, Haldia, Paradip and all major ports in India.

Dipti Fire Services implements a methodical framework that adheres to infallible safety standards, encompassing established benchmarks for Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) and Fire-Fighting Appliances (FFA). Designated Vessel managers should ensure that all fire-safety equipment is inspected as per time-honored norms. Established procedures should be followed to make sure that all safety equipment is in working condition. It is advisable to adopt fire-safety policies and procedures at an organizational level to ensure all-around awareness and performance.

Depending on the contents of the cargo and the vessel type, we strongly recommend that a ship must undergo a series of stringent tests, at defined intervals, as per International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines, conducted by a professional service-specialist team with sufficient experience in marine safety. Dipti Fire Services (DFS) is your trusted friend with more than two decades of experience in LSA, FFA and related services. For the ease of implementation, the IMO guidelines for Maintenance of Safety Equipments should be followed diligently which also includes:

• A.951 (23) – For Maintenance of Fire Extinguishers Onboard Ships.
• MSC 1432 – For Maintenance & Inspection of Fire Protection Systems & Appliances.
• MSC 1318 – For Maintenance & Inspection of Fixed Co2 Suppression Systems.
• MSC 1312 – For Performance & Testing Criteria, and Surveys of Foam Concentrate for Fixed Fire Extinguishing Systems.
• MSC 1114 – For Periodic Testing of Immersion Suits & Anti Exposure Suit Seam and Closures.

Employing a qualified service-specialist team, like Dipti Fire Services (DFS), for auditing the safety equipment of a vessel is a failsafe method to control and prevent fire-related accidents onboard.

Ship safety and fire prevention of paramount importance for vessels at sea. Necessary due diligence is required for extensive implementation fire safety plans. This routine activity should be scheduled each month at a specific date. Crew members should be alert at all times and report all safety discrepancies to the higher management without delay.
Here are some of the guidelines for fire-safety and fire-prevention for cargo ships