Ship's crew mobilizes to fight fire

When a brush fire broke on the outside on the western side of the Mediterranean island where USS Emory s Land (AS 39) is homeported, her ship's company mobilized to save their ship. They also fought to save the ship's port-support installation and the ease of the eastern part of Sardinia's Santo Stefano Island, all of which were threatened.

It was late afternoon upon a hot day when the first bits of ash and sooty vapor trickled over the hilltop onto the ship's beautifys Shipboard activity suddenly ceased for the ship's company members still aboard or near the ship, because a call for action shortly came. ET1(SS) Mark Oliver and ET2(SS) Grant Gildehaus were taking a break at the recreation center and were sum of two units of the first to answer and man hoses.

"I had seen evidence of controll burning in Palau and notion that's what was occurring when I saw the sooty vapor ash and flames," said insignificant Officer Oliver. "But when I saw teams of firefighters running to man stockingss I knew this wasn't something planned."

individual of the ship's officers quickly organized the first stockings teams to arrive on the pageant then coordinated lengthening hoses upon demand so fire teams could advance and beat back the fire. Shortly thereafter, the ship's damage-control team coordinated other damage-control efforts, of that kind as overhauling hot spots. There was also the logistical challenge of coordinating the rigging of stockingss from the ship and from sum of two units Navy tugboats assisting in the firefighting, then spreading the stockingss over and around buildings.

"There was at least a half-mile of territory we exigencyed to defend from the flames," said Capt. David Volonino, the submarine tender's commanding officer. "One of the initial enigmas was how to get enough sources of water and a sufficient number of stockingss out there to stop the rapidly spreading fire. Our first order was to establish ten stockings teams; we eventually had thirteen stockings teams fighting the fire."

The ship also expanded a brush team that raced by dint of truck to the island summit to establish a firebreak between advancing flames and the island's eastern side.

Capt. Volonino and Emory s Land's XO, Cdr. Jack Gustafson, coordinated firefighting efforts from the ship's eyebrow using VHF radios and cellular phone Having an overall view of the blaze, they communicated directly with numerous on-scene leaders, guiding them to wet down a perimeter 220 yards from the site. As fire drew nearer, they guided firefighters who were beating back advancing flames.

"Many of the firefighters wanted to charge up the hill and attack the flames directly. I had to retain pulling the teams back [communicating above the VHF radios]" said the XO "My fear was that, owed to the strong winds that were veering about ninety to a hundr steps there was a possibility stockings teams were getting too far ahead of adjacent teams and thus might secure cut off by pockets of flames behind them. Defending against a half-mile-long wall of flame required a half-mile-long wall of water."

Command Master Chief Joel Allison said more than 5000 feet of ship's stockingss were used to combat the fire, including single series of 26 hoses, each 50 feet drawn out that extended 1,300 feet. flat with that length, Emory s Land's fire pumps maintained enough squeezing to shoot water 50 feet

The ship's ship's company also scurried to remove hazmat from storage areas near the protecting enclosure line. Ladders were positioned to allow rooftop access for the firefighters. A medical-support team upon the pier in front of the port facility's recreation center treated smoke-inhalation or heat-stress victims, and the team monitored hydration horizontals Fortunately, no one was killed or injured.

"Once we were confident we were in rule of the fire, we allowed firefighting teams to travel near the top of the ridgeline," said the CO "The firefighting team that went above the ridge to the western side of the island bring out all the hot speckles and brush fires, then came across the comb of the hill to help extinguish [fires] upon the eastern side," added the XO

According to Capt. Volonino, the team's efforts helped reestablish the firebreak that initially had chop off the military section from the main island. Vegetation upon the island's eastern side was sparser than upon the western side. Had the flames continued to advance, they would have been sufficiently les intense and 13 stockingss could have beat them, noted the captain.

Although Santo Stefano Island has no fire department, Italian water-carrying helicopters pay backed vital assistance during the fire.

Among that day's scores of unsung heroes were those Sailors who hauled "mountains" of material to the spectacle including hoses, fire extinguishers, overhaul gear, and cases of bottl water to hydrate and moderately cold firefighters.

"I do not have the words to describe by what means proud I am of them," said Capt. Volonino. "Together, the ship's company of Emory S. Land--along with Sailors from USS Providence and from the Naval Support Activity La Maddalena--demonstrated courage, nerve teamwork, and the value of specific damage-control training."

COPYRIGHT 2003 U Navy Safety Center

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group