46 CFR 118.310: Fire main and hydrant requirements

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets requirements for a vessel's fire main and fire hydrants. A vessel must have enough hydrants to reach any part of the vessel with a single length of firehose, except as paragraph (d) requires. A vessel carrying more than 600 passengers or with overnight accommodations for more than 49 passengers must meet § 76.10-10 of this chapter.

What it says

  1. Except as paragraph (d) requires, a vessel must have enough fire hydrants to reach any part of the vessel with a single length of firehose.

    46 CFR 118.310(a)“a vessel must have a sufficient number of fire hydrants to reach any part of the vessel using a single length of firehose.”

  2. Piping, valves, and fittings in a fire main system must comply with part 119, subpart G of this subchapter.

    46 CFR 118.310(b)“Piping, valves, and fittings in a fire main system must comply with part 119, subpart G of this subchapter.”

  3. Each fire hydrant must have a valve that allows the firehose to be removed while the fire main is under pressure.

    46 CFR 118.310(c)“Each fire hydrant must have a valve installed to allow the firehose to be removed while the fire main is under pressure.”

  4. On a vessel carrying more than 600 passengers or with overnight accommodations for more than 49 passengers, the fire main and hydrants must meet § 76.10-10 of this chapter.

    46 CFR 118.310(d)“On a vessel carrying more than 600 passengers or with overnight accommodations for more than 49 passengers, the fire main and hydrants must meet § 76.10-10 of this chapter.”

  5. Spanner wrenches must be provided for each fire hydrant required by this regulation.

    46 CFR 118.310(e)“Spanner wrenches must be provided for each fire hydrant required by this regulation.”

  6. Existing vessels must comply with the spanner wrench requirement by January 18, 2017.

    46 CFR 118.310(e)“Existing vessels must comply with this requirement by January 18, 2017.”

Common questions

How many fire hydrants must a vessel have under 46 CFR 118.310?

A vessel must have enough fire hydrants to reach any part of the vessel with a single length of firehose. Paragraph (d) sets a different requirement for some vessels.

“a vessel must have a sufficient number of fire hydrants to reach any part of the vessel using a single length of firehose.”

Does each fire hydrant need a valve?

Yes. Each fire hydrant must have a valve that lets the firehose be removed while the fire main is under pressure.

“Each fire hydrant must have a valve installed to allow the firehose to be removed while the fire main is under pressure.”

Which vessels must meet § 76.10-10 for the fire main?

A vessel carrying more than 600 passengers or with overnight accommodations for more than 49 passengers must meet § 76.10-10 of this chapter.

“On a vessel carrying more than 600 passengers or with overnight accommodations for more than 49 passengers, the fire main and hydrants must meet § 76.10-10 of this chapter.”

Are spanner wrenches required for fire hydrants?

Yes. Spanner wrenches must be provided for each fire hydrant required by this regulation.

“Spanner wrenches must be provided for each fire hydrant required by this regulation.”

The text of 46 CFR 118.310

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Fire main and hydrants

(a) Except as required by paragraph (d) of this section, a vessel must have a sufficient number of fire hydrants to reach any part of the vessel using a single length of firehose.

(b) Piping, valves, and fittings in a fire main system must comply with part 119, subpart G of this subchapter.

(c) Each fire hydrant must have a valve installed to allow the firehose to be removed while the fire main is under pressure.

(d) On a vessel carrying more than 600 passengers or with overnight accommodations for more than 49 passengers, the fire main and hydrants must meet § 76.10-10 of this chapter.

(e) Spanner wrenches must be provided for each fire hydrant required by this regulation. Existing vessels must comply with this requirement by January 18, 2017.

Sections it refers to

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.