46 CFR 142.330: Fire-detection system requirements for towing vessels

(a) Fire-detection systems. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(8) of this section, each towing vessel must have a fire-detection system installed to detect engine room fires. The owner or managing operator must ensure the following:

(1) Each detector, control panel, remote indicator panel, and fire alarm are approved by the Commandant under approval series 161.002 or listed by a NRTL as set forth in 29 CFR 1910.7;

(2) The system is installed, tested, and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's design manual;

(3) The system is arranged and installed so a fire in the engine room automatically sets off alarms on a fire detection control panel at the operating station. On vessels with more than one operating station, only one of them must be outfitted with a fire detection control panel. Any other operating station must be outfitted with either a fire detection control panel or a remote indicator panel;

(4) The control panel includes:

(i) A power available light;

(ii) An audible to notify crew of a fire;

(iii) Visual alarm alarms to identify the zone or zones of origin of the fire;

(iv) A means to silence the audible alarm while maintaining indication by the visual alarms;

(v) A circuit-fault detector test-switch, or internal supervision of circuit integrity; and

(vi) Labels for all switches and indicator lights, identifying their functions.

(5) The system draws power from two sources. Switchover from the primary source to the secondary source may be either manual or automatic;

(6) The system serves no other purpose, unless it is an engine room monitoring system complying with paragraph (a)(8) of this section; and

(7) The design of the system and its installation on the towing vessel is certified and inspected by a registered professional engineer with experience in fire-detection system design, by a technician with qualifications as a National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) level IV fire alarm engineering technician, or by an authorized classification society with equivalent experience, to comply with paragraphs (a)(1) through (6) of this section.

(8) A towing vessel whose construction was contracted for prior to January 18, 2000, may use an existing engine room monitoring system (with fire-detection capability) instead of a fire-detection system, if the monitoring system is operable and complies with paragraphs (a)(2) through (7) of this section, and uses detectors listed by an NRTL.

(b) Smoke detection in berthing spaces. Each towing vessel must be equipped with a means to detect smoke in the berthing spaces and lounges that alerts individuals in those spaces. This may be accomplished by an installed detection system, or by using individual battery-operated detectors meeting UL 217 (incorporated by reference, see § 136.112 of this subchapter). Detection systems or individual detectors must be kept operational at all times when the crew is onboard the towing vessel.

(c) Heat-detection system in galley. Each new towing vessel equipped with a galley must have a heat-detection system with one or more restorable heat-sensing detectors to detect fires in the galley. The system must be arranged to sound an audible alarm at each operating station. This may be a separate zone in the detection system required by paragraph (a) of this section, or a separate detection system complying with paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section.