Emergency Fire Pump on Ships: SOLAS Requirements and How It Works

This distinction is important. It is therefore inaccurate to state simply that every SOLAS ship must have the same separate emergency fire pump arrangement.

Why Must the Emergency Fire Pump Be Independent?

Imagine that the main fire pumps and their power sources are located in the engine room.

If a serious engine-room fire makes that space inaccessible or disables its machinery, a fire pump located in the same affected area may become useless precisely when it is needed most.

The emergency arrangement is therefore based on separation and independence.

SOLAS II-2/10 requires, where an emergency fire pump is the alternative means, its source of power and sea connection to be located outside the space where the main fire pumps or their power sources are located.

The principle is simple:

Main fire pumps unavailable → independent emergency fire pump → fire main remains supplied

Where Is the Emergency Fire Pump Located?

SOLAS contains specific requirements for the space containing the emergency fire pump.

Under SOLAS II-2/10.2.2.3.2.1, that space should not normally be contiguous with the boundaries of machinery spaces of category A or spaces containing the main fire pumps.

Where this cannot practically be avoided, the common boundary must have the required structural fire protection.

The purpose is again to prevent the same fire from disabling both the main and emergency firefighting arrangements.

Access to the Emergency Fire Pump

The pump must not only survive the fire-it must also remain accessible.

SOLAS II-2/10.2.2.3.2.2 generally does not permit direct access between the machinery space and the space containing the emergency fire pump and its source of power.

SOLAS does allow specified alternative arrangements where direct separation is impracticable, such as appropriately protected access arrangements, subject to the detailed requirements of the regulation.

For seafarers, this means knowing the actual access route to the emergency fire pump is important during familiarization.

Sea Suction and Fire Main Connection

An emergency fire pump needs a reliable source of seawater.

SOLAS II-2/10 addresses the arrangement of the pump's seawater inlet, suction piping, delivery piping and isolating valves.

The fire main must be arranged so that when the isolating valves separating the machinery-space section are closed, hydrants outside that affected machinery space can still receive water from another fire pump or the emergency fire pump.

Normally, the emergency fire pump, its seawater inlet and the relevant suction and delivery arrangements are located outside the machinery space containing the main fire pumps.

This prevents an engine-room casualty from disabling both the pump and its water supply.

How Much Water Must the Emergency Fire Pump Deliver?

For ships required to have an emergency fire pump complying with FSS Code Chapter 12, its capacity must be at least 40% of the total capacity of the fire pumps required by SOLAS II-2/10.2.2.4.1, and in any case not less than:

• 25 m³/h for passenger ships below 1,000 GT and cargo ships of 2,000 GT and above; or
• 15 m³/h for cargo ships below 2,000 GT.

For passenger ships of 1,000 GT and above, SOLAS uses a different approach. The fire-pump arrangement must ensure that a fire in any one compartment cannot put all fire pumps out of action. The total required fire-pump capacity is at least two-thirds of the required bilge-pumping capacity, while each required fire pump must meet the capacity criteria of SOLAS II-2/10.2.2.4.2, including a minimum capacity of 25 m³/h.

How Is the Emergency Fire Pump Powered?

The emergency fire pump must be independently driven.

Depending on the approved ship arrangement, this may involve an independent diesel-driven pump or another compliant power arrangement.

Where electrical power is involved, the design must preserve the independence required by SOLAS so that loss of the main machinery-space power source does not simultaneously remove the emergency firefighting capability.

The exact starting and power arrangement should therefore always be confirmed from the vessel's approved fire-control documentation and equipment manuals.

How Does the Emergency Fire Pump Work?

The basic operating principle is straightforward:

Sea suction → Emergency fire pump → Fire main → Hydrants → Fire hoses/nozzles

When the normal fire pumps are unavailable, the emergency fire pump draws seawater through its suction arrangement and delivers it into the fire main.

The crew can then use the available hydrants and hoses to fight the fire.

Actual starting and valve-opening procedures vary between ships, so seafarers should never assume that the procedure learned on one vessel applies unchanged to another.

Testing the Emergency Fire Pump

Emergency firefighting equipment must remain ready for immediate use.

SOLAS II-2/14 – Operational readiness and maintenance establishes the broader requirement for maintaining and monitoring the effectiveness of shipboard fire-safety measures.

Practical emergency fire-pump testing normally includes checking:

• pump starting;
• priming arrangements, where fitted;
• sea suction;
• discharge pressure;
• fire-main pressure;
• leakage;
• fuel or power supply;
• valves and isolating arrangements; and
• general pump condition.

Testing should follow the vessel's approved procedures, planned maintenance system, manufacturer's instructions and applicable statutory requirements.

Common Emergency Fire Pump Problems

Problems that may affect emergency fire-pump performance include:

• difficulty priming the pump;
• blocked or restricted sea suction;
• incorrect valve alignment;
• air leakage on the suction side;
• low discharge pressure;
• starting-system problems;
• fuel or electrical supply problems;
• leakage; and
• inadequate maintenance.

The exact troubleshooting procedure depends on the pump and installation fitted on board.

What Should Seafarers Know?

Crew members responsible for firefighting should know the emergency fire pump's:

• location and access route;
• starting procedure;
• power or fuel source;
• sea-suction arrangement;
• relevant isolating valves;
• connection to the fire main; and
• expected indications during operation.

They should also understand what must be done if the machinery-space section of the fire main needs to be isolated.

During a real fire, this knowledge can save valuable time.

Final Thoughts

The emergency fire pump provides an essential second line of firefighting capability when the ship's normal fire pumps become unavailable.

Its effectiveness depends not only on the pump itself, but also on its independent power source, seawater supply, location, access, piping and connection to the fire main.

For seafarers, three questions matter most:

Can you reach it? Can you start it? Can it deliver the required fire-main pressure?

Knowing those answers before a fire occurs is an important part of shipboard emergency preparedness.

References

International Maritime Organization (IMO). SOLAS Consolidated Edition 2024, Chapter II-2, Regulation 10 - Firefighting.

International Maritime Organization (IMO). International Code for Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code), Chapter 12 — Fixed Emergency Fire Pumps.

International Maritime Organization (IMO). January 2026 Supplement – SOLAS Consolidated Edition 2024.