Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Alora Blosch | NORFOLK (Nov. 8, 2022) – Damage Controlman 1st Class AJ Kaseta temporarily assigned...... read more read more
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“White smoke, white smoke, white smoke,” blares the 1MC onboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). “White smoke reported in compartment 02-98-1-Q. IET respond from repair locker 6/7.”
Rapid footsteps slam across the deck as Sailors go rushing. While dressing out, the investigators discover their bag doesn’t have all the equipment they need. Frantically, they grab the nearest person and send them to look for crucial gear and a radio to communicate. Investigators have mere minutes to dress out and arrive on scene to support initial responders and ensure the casualty doesn’t spread. When they finally arrive on scene after wasting precious minutes, a massive fire rages in the space. The initial responders say they tried multiple CO2 portable extinguishers, but they all failed to activate. The fire team arrives on the scene, but when they charge the fire hose, nothing happens.
A worst-case scenario but one easily prevented through assessments and proper maintenance. As Wasp transitions into an operational command, it must undergo Damage Control Material Assessment to ensure all firefighting, flooding and various casualty combatting equipment is fully equipped and operational.
DCMA is a meticulous inspection where afloat training group sends personnel onboard to verify that repair lockers have every single item they require, ensure each CO2 bottle is up to date and functional, every hose is where it is supposed to be and all gaskets work. The inspection looks at all DC equipment from fire main, halon and aqueous film-forming foam stations to every water tight door and battle lantern on the ship.
“We can’t light off our plants if we don’t verify that we can handle any casualty that comes our way,” said Damage Controlman 2nd Class Felamer Flores. “We can’t get underway without passing this inspection and we will redo this inspection over and over until we pass. Failure isn’t an option.”
Sailors from various departments and divisions are heavily involved in order to guarantee success. Every day for a week, Sailors were called to the hangar bay for a 50-Sailor working party to move DC equipment to the various storerooms. Electrician’s mates have been busy working on DC equipment and various other equipment with electrical components to ensure they are fully functional.
“E-div. owns more equipment, if not the most equipment, compared to everyone else on the ship,” said Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Matthew Develle. “From systems at the very bottom of the ship to the lights at the top. Lately we’ve been having to go through and rewire the systems for the fire pumps. AFFF and fire main are our main firefighting systems outside of halon, and all the maintenance for them pertains to us.”
Teamwork has played an integral part of preparing for the initial assessment. Sailors from various commands have even been sent to work on Wasp temporarily just to aid in the preparation.
“Everything you do in DC is going to require teamwork,” said Damage Controlman 1st Class AJ Kaseta, temporarily assigned from the Ford-Class aircraft carrier Pre-Commissioning Unit John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). “Everything from maintenance to putting out a fire to dewatering the ship, it’s hardly ever a one-person job. For the short time I’ve been here, just looking at the shop, the comradery is there. The morale is there; it’s a good group of Sailors. They don’t drag their feet. They don’t complain. They don’t ask why we are doing it. They just get after it.”
Sailors from engineering department have been utilizing every minute of the work day to make sure everything is ready for the inspection.
“It’s stressful,” said Damage Controlman 3rd Class Tyler Gross. “We are trying to get all the systems up and making sure everything is right and fixing all the hits that we get. It’s a lot of hours.”
Ensuring all the equipment and materials are there and fully operational provides a piece of mind for those running into the flames. Don’t give up the ship, but don’t run in without the proper ammunition and armor.
| Date Taken: | 11.15.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2022 21:07 |
| Story ID: | 436044 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 159 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Failure isn't an Option: USS Wasp Prepares for DCMA, by PO1 Alora Blosch, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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