As the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) progresses more and more into its preparation for the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) period, the risk of fires from the many hot work jobs such as grinding or welding that occurs throughout the day increases.

George Washington has assigned a team of Sailors from all departments of the ship to the fire watch division to detect potential fire hazards and to fight smaller fires.

"The fire watch is trained to operate a small CO2 bottle in the event of a fire," said Machinist's Mate 1st Class Sheltina Beckett, leading petty officer of the fire watch division. "They're trained to make sure the hot work area in a six-foot radius around the actual job is clear of trash and other fire hazards."

Fire watches serve as a vital first line of defense against preventable casualties. During this preparation phase for RCOH, the division has currently completed more than 750 jobs and stood more than 2,200 hours of watch.

"The fire watch division will save the Navy money that would've been used to hire contractors to stand the watches," said Beckett. "We can use the money saved from having a fire watch division to improve other projects around the ship."

Fire watches have flash gear, a CO2 fire extinguisher and personal protective equipment such as hard hats, hearing protection and eye protection while standing watch.

"If a fire is still in its incipient phase, the fire watch will try to extinguish it with the CO2 bottle they have on hand. If it gets too big and cannot be contained, they will have to ensure the space is dogged and notify damage control central and the quarterdeck," said Beckett.

The fire watch division currently consists of approximately 35 Sailors. As the ship approaches RCOH, the number of Sailors assigned to the fire watch division will ramp up to 150 personnel and be fully manned by August.

"It's important to have a second pair of eyes so if anything does happen, we are the first to see it and we can respond," said Electrician's Mate (Nuclear) 3rd Class Kenneth Travitz, a fire watch stander. "It can be boring, but if a watch was uneventful, it means the job was done well and that's a good thing."

George Washington is currently scheduled to be in dry-dock at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries for a slated 48-month RCOH maintenance period in August 2017.


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