7 August 2023
While many of Navy’s damage control exercises take place at sea, the importance of personnel and ship safety while berthed at a wharf is far from forgotten.
HMAS Anzac’s crew tested their damage control response, alongside a wharf in Singapore, together with firefighters from the Singapore Civil Defence Force in a new scenario during a regional presence deployment.
Personnel from the Republic of Singapore Navy were also welcomed aboard to observe the exercise, which tested participants’ response to a fire inside a compartment aboard Anzac.
The Chief of Navy’s liaison officer to the Republic of Singapore Navy Captain Brendan Horn, who arranged the engagement with Singapore, said these activities strengthen the close relationship between Singapore and Australia.
“The Singapore Civil Defence Force swiftly responded to the simulated emergency call from Anzac, deploying three fire trucks and 30 firefighters,” Captain Horn said.
“Their response efforts to support duty watch focused on the provision of boundary cooling, standby fire teams and also assistance with personnel recovery.
“It was a very useful fire exercise, providing an opportunity to practise emergency response options.
“Representatives from the Republic of Singapore Navy, along with the UK wharf and safety team, supported the fire exercise, demonstrating a strong commitment to maritime safety.”
Able Seaman Mark Gutjahr specialises in electrical systems aboard Anzac and during damage control incidents takes charge as the duty leading seaman marine technician, performing different roles depending on the nature of the incident.
“During the damage control exercise my role was to ensure that the compartment with the reported fire was contained through boundary cooling by delegating personnel and resources to areas located around that compartment,” Able Seaman Gutjahr said.
“The aim of this was to prevent auto-ignition of materials within other compartments that could then turn a one-compartment incident into a whole-ship major event.
“The exercise also allowed me to convey the correct and safe use of damage control tools to our international friends.
“Working with other navies and emergency response agencies provided a great method of bilateral cooperation and allowed me to develop skills in teaching our methods and learning about methods that other agencies might use during these scenarios.”
Anzac embarked on a five-month regional presence deployment in April before supporting the ADF’s Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2023.
