Ventura County firefighters respond to a fire aboard the Conception dive boat in the Santa Barbara Canal off the coast of Southern California on September 2, 2019.
Ventura County Fire Department via AP
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Ventura County Fire Department via AP
Ventura County firefighters respond to a fire aboard the Conception dive boat in the Santa Barbara Canal off the coast of Southern California on September 2, 2019.
Ventura County Fire Department via AP
LOS ANGELES – Coast Guard announced new safety rules after a deadly fire killed 34 people on a scuba diving boat off the California coast more than two years ago, including the installation of fire detection and extinguishing equipment.
The Labor Day 2019 fire aboard the Conception off Santa Barbara marks the deadliest maritime disaster in modern state history, leading to criminal charges and calls for tougher regulations for tankers small guests.
The new temporary rules will take effect over the next two years. In addition to the fire system, owners of overnight passenger boats will also be required to provide better escape routes from below deck and use devices to ensure night watchers are awake and on the move.
An investigation into the disaster blame the owner of Conception Due to a lack of supervision and the captain’s failure to place a mobile watch on board, the fire quickly spread and trapped 33 passengers and one crew member below deck. Captain Jerry Boylan and four crew members, all sleeping on deck, escaped.
The burnt hull of the Conception is brought to the surface by a salvage team off Santa Cruz Island, California, on September 12, 2019.
Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via AP
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Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via AP
The burnt hull of the Conception is brought to the surface by a salvage team off Santa Cruz Island, California, on September 12, 2019.
Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via AP
Boylan pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of manslaughter of a sailor. He was released on bail pending trial in US District Court in Los Angeles.
New regulations are expected after Congress requested in December 2020 that the Coast Guard review its regulations for small passenger ships. The law, contained in the National Defense Authorization Act, also adds new requirements related to fire detection and prevention.
The new rules apply to small passenger ships that sleep or operate on ocean or coastal routes, but do not include fishing boats and ferries.
In its investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the Coast Guard require boat owners to install more comprehensive smoke detection systems, upgrade exits and perform arrest warranties. required for portable watches.
Since 1991, no carrier, operator or charterer has been penalized for not posting a mobile patrol, prompting the NTSB to blame the Coast Guard for failing to enforce that requirement and recommend that they develop a program to ensure ships have actual overnight passengers. there is a guard.
The rules will also require boats to have at least two exits, so if there is no exit there will be another way out. Exits should be clear and both should not be directly above the berth.
The Conception bunker has a staircase that opens towards the bow and a small emergency exit that is difficult to access and climb through one of the bunkers in the center of the ship. However, both lead to the gallery on fire.
Family members of those killed have filed a false claim against the boat company Truth Aquatics Inc. and the family that owns it. They also sued the Coast Guard over lax enforcement, which they say damaged those below deck.
The families said the fire detection and extinguishing system failed to comply, and that the two escapes from the bunker violated Coast Guard regulations because they led to the same location.
The boat passed two of the most recent Coast Guard safety checks.
The Coast Guard declined to comment on the case because of its policy not to discuss pending litigation.
The rules published late last month in the Federal Register go into effect March 28 and could be changed after the public comment period ends in June.
Other new requirements include better crew training, passenger exit drills and instructions on how to handle flammable items such as rechargeable batteries.
While investigators said they were unable to determine the cause of the fire as the boat burned and sank, they said the fire started at the back of the main deck salon – where divers had plugged in their phones. , flashlights and other items with flammable lithium ion batteries.
Following the fire, the Coast Guard issued a notice recommending limiting the unattended use of lithium ion batteries on board ships and the widespread use of power strips and extension cords.
