Fire on Board the Liberian Passenger Ship Ecstasy, Miami, Florida ...

Factual Information 39 Marine Accident ReportRegulation 53, “Muster List and Emergency Instructions”:The muster list shall show the duties assigned to members of the crew in relationto passengers in case of emergency. These duties shall include: warning thepassengers; seeing that they are suitably clad and have donned their lifejacketscorrectly; assembling passengers at muster stations; keeping order in thepassageways and on the stairways and generally controlling the movements of thepassengers; ensuring that a supply of blankets is taken to the survival craft.Emergency Procedures and DrillsCrew training. The Ecstasy safety officer stated that all crewmembers on boardhad participated in a “vessel familiarization program,” as required by STCW. Investigatorsreviewed the program curriculum and a sampling of personnel training files. The coursesprovided by the safety officer included Safety Communication, Signs and Alarms; CrewMuster Stations, How to Locate and Don Lifejackets; Man Overboard Initial Action; <strong>Fire</strong>Emergency Initial Action; Medical Emergency Initial Action; Close and OpenWeathertight, Watertight, and <strong>Fire</strong> Screen Doors; and Vessel Familiarization Assessment.A station bill on board the Ecstasy specified the responsibilities and emergencystations for each crewmember in the event of an emergency. According to the safetyofficer, fire drills were held weekly and were conducted as if an actual emergency existed.Crewmembers were required to report to fire stations with firefighting equipment andsimulate a response to a fire.At the time of the accident, Carnival Cruise Lines had not developed a crowdmanagement plan, including crowd control training for crewmembers. According to theEcstasy’s safety officer, he and the staff captain provided instruction on proper crowdcontrol procedures to crewmembers who were assigned to direct passenger evacuation,muster station leaders, lifeboat commanders, and other supervisory personnel during theweekly emergency drills and other routine training. The safety officer stated that the CoastGuard tested the crewmembers’ knowledge of crowd management procedures duringannual and quarterly CVEs. He indicated that, during emergencies when routineprocedures did not apply, the master or other officers provided instructions specific to thesituation.Passenger drill. Before the Ecstasy departed Miami, passengers were required toparticipate in an abandon ship, or muster, drill. According to the cruise director, hefollowed a script during the drill, which contained the following instructions:• Crewmembers will guide passengers to their muster stations and instruct themhow to wear the lifejackets.• If passengers must abandon ship, lifeboats would be lowered to theembarkation deck to allow them to board the boats.• If passengers do not have enough lifejackets in their cabin for the number ofoccupants including children, a cabin steward will provide extra lifejackets.