The FSS Code or International Code for Fire Safety Systems is a set of

international treaties A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...

organised by the

International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: ''Organisation maritime internationale'') is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference ...

(IMO) under the

SOLAS Convention The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty that sets minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. The International Maritime Organization ...

that are designed to reduce the risk of fire, and aid in emergency response aboard

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

s. Some of the components of the code were constructed after some high-profile

passenger ship A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freig ...

disasters over the last century. MS Scandinavian Star 001

Components

The FSS Code covers: * International shore connection - specifics on how to connect to shores and ports (to refill, and to fight fires while docked). * Personal protection - Fire fighting apparel and breathing apparatus. * Extinguishing: **

Fire Extinguishers A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...

- Specification of portables extinguishers ** Fixed gas fire extinguishing systems ** Fixed foam fire extinguishing systems ** Fixed pressure water and water spraying systems ** Auto

sprinkler Sprinkler may refer to: * Irrigation sprinkler, a device for watering lawns or crops * Fire sprinkler, a device for fire suppression * Sprinkler (dance), a dance move See also * * Feynman sprinkler A Feynman sprinkler, also referred to as a F ...

, fire detection and

fire alarm A fire alarm system warns people when smoke, fire, carbon monoxide or other fire-related or general notification emergency, emergencies are detected. These alarms may be activated automatically from smoke detectors and heat detectors or may also ...

systems ** Fixed Emergency fire pumps ** Fixed deck foam system ** Inert gas system *

Fire detection Fire detectors sense one or more of the products or phenomena resulting from fire, such as smoke, heat, infrared and/or ultraviolet light radiation, or gas. In dwellings, smoke detectors are often stand-alone devices. In non-domestic buildings, fir ...

and alarm systems * Sample extraction smoke detection system * Low Location Lighting system - for the lower parts of the ship * Means of Escape

History

The FSS Code has been through some evolution: * 1914 and 1929

s after the

RMS Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

sinking * 1948 and 1960 SOLAS Conventions after the

Morro Castle Morro Castle may refer to: Fortress * Morro Castle (Havana), a fortress guarding Havana Bay, Cuba * Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a fortress in San Juan, Puerto Rico * Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca The Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca (also k ...

sinking in 1934 * International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of 1 November 1974, that introduced Chapter II-2 (on construction - fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction) * 1981 revision - a rewrite of Chapter II-2 * 1990

MS Scandinavian Star MS ''Scandinavian Star'', originally named MS ''Massalia'', was a car and passenger ferry built in France in 1971. The ship was set on fire on April 7, 1990, killing 159 people. The official investigation determined the fire had been caused by a ...

disaster that led to a revision - ''Amendments to Chapter II-2 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of 1 November 1974 (Fire Safety Measures for Existing Passenger Ships)'' signed in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

* ''International Code for Application of Fire Test Procedures'' London, on laboratory testing of systems. * ''IMO Resolution MSC.327(90): 2012 Amendments to the International Code for Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code)'' London, * ''IMO Resolution MSC.339(91): 2012 Amendments to the International Code for Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code)'' London,

References

{{reflist International Maritime Organization Law of the sea Emergency services