🔍 Key Concepts

• SOLAS Chapter II-2 requirements for fire-fighting appliances on cargo ships • Differences between requirements for cargo ships and passenger ships • How the gross tonnage (GT) of a ship affects the minimum number of fire axes required

💭 Think About

• First, identify where in SOLAS or fire safety tables the required number of fire axes for a cargo vessel is specified. What tonnage ranges are listed, and which range includes 14,000 GT? • Think about whether the number of required fire axes scales linearly with tonnage or in set steps (e.g., up to X GT, between X and Y GT, above Y GT). Which ‘step’ applies here? • Compare the answer choices to the likely minimum requirement for a mid-sized ocean‑going cargo vessel. Which options seem too low for safety and which seem more suited to very large ships?

✅ Before You Answer

• Confirm you are looking at the cargo ship section, not passenger ship requirements. • Verify the tonnage band that includes 14,000 GT and read the exact minimum number of fire axes listed there. • Check if the rule specifies a minimum total number of axes for the ship, not ‘per fire party’ or ‘per deck,’ to avoid miscounting.