For a 75 ton vessel that is 80 feet long carrying passengers for hire, what is the minimum number of fire pumps required?

• A. One Self Priming, One Power Driven Pump
• B. Two Self Priming Pumps
• C. One Fixed Pump
• D. None

Answer: (A)

Redundancy and enough firefighting capacity are required for passenger vessels of this size. Two pumps are needed so water can be supplied to the fire main even if one pump is not available. A self-priming pump is reliable because it can draw seawater without needing the engine to be running or to be manually primed, giving a quick, independent source of water. The other pump being power-driven (engine-driven) provides the higher, sustained flow needed when actively fighting a fire, especially if multiple hydrants or monitors are in use. Relying on a single pump—whether fixed or otherwise—wouldleave no backup if that pump failed or needed service. That’s why the minimum setup is two pumps: one self-priming and one power-driven.