MMC Shipboard Safety & Emergency Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the FIRST action a mariner should take upon discovering a fire onboard?
- Sound the general alarm and notify the bridge (Correct answer)
- Attempt to extinguish the fire immediately
- Evacuate the compartment and seal all doors
- Report to the muster station
Correct answer: Sound the general alarm and notify the bridge
The first action is always to sound the general alarm and notify the bridge so the crew can respond in a coordinated manner.
Question 2: A vessel's immersion suit (survival suit) must be donned within how many seconds per USCG regulations?
- 30 seconds
- 60 seconds (Correct answer)
- 90 seconds
- 120 seconds
Correct answer: 60 seconds
USCG regulations require that immersion suits be capable of being donned within 60 seconds to ensure rapid abandonment.
Question 3: Which type of fire extinguisher is classified as NOT safe to use on electrical fires?
- CO2
- Dry chemical (ABC)
- Water (Correct answer)
- Halon
Correct answer: Water
Water extinguishers conduct electricity and can cause electrocution or spread a fire involving energized equipment.
Question 4: In a shipboard emergency, what does the term 'muster' refer to?
- The act of donning personal protective equipment
- The assembly of crew and passengers at designated stations (Correct answer)
- The process of closing watertight doors
- The signal to abandon ship
Correct answer: The assembly of crew and passengers at designated stations
Muster refers to assembling all persons at designated muster stations so they can be accounted for and assigned emergency duties.
Question 5: What signal indicates 'Abandon Ship' on a vessel's whistle/alarm system?
- One prolonged blast
- Three short blasts
- More than six short blasts followed by a long blast on the ship's whistle and alarm (Correct answer)
- Two long blasts
Correct answer: More than six short blasts followed by a long blast on the ship's whistle and alarm
The abandon ship signal is more than six short blasts followed by one long blast on the ship's whistle and the same signal on the alarm system.
Question 6: A vessel's fire dampers are designed to:
- Reduce the spread of smoke and fire through ventilation systems (Correct answer)
- Automatically activate fire suppression systems
- Sound an alarm when smoke is detected
- Control the flow of firefighting water
Correct answer: Reduce the spread of smoke and fire through ventilation systems
Fire dampers close off ventilation ducts to prevent smoke and fire from spreading through the HVAC system to other compartments.
Question 7: Which statement is TRUE regarding a vessel's watertight doors during emergency operations?
- All watertight doors must remain open at all times for crew access
- Watertight doors should be closed except when personnel are passing through (Correct answer)
- Watertight doors may only be operated by the captain
- Watertight doors must be secured open during fire emergencies
Correct answer: Watertight doors should be closed except when personnel are passing through
Watertight doors should be kept closed during sea voyages and only opened briefly when personnel need to pass through to maintain the vessel's watertight integrity.
MMC Shipboard Safety & Emergency Procedures 2
What is the FIRST action a mariner should take upon discovering a fire onboard?