(LANHAM, Md.) — In November 2012, the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee set out a number of measures designed to improve fire safety at sea, including the mandatory provision of specific types of handheld two-way radios for firefighting operations. This mandate means ships must carry firefighting radios that are explosion-proof or intrinsically safe.
Vessels constructed on or after July 1, 2014 must already carry these radios, but for ships constructed before 2014, compliance becomes mandatory on July 1, 2018. Up to 65,000 additional vessels must carry two-way firefighting radios by July 2018.
The McMurdo SmartFind R8F UHF firefighter radio is an intrinsically safe two-way radio that meets new SOLAS II-2 mandated regulations for improved fire safety at sea. It has everything an emergency team needs in a radio, from enhanced grip and large tactile buttons for easy and fast operation in an emergency situation, to a powerful in-built loud speaker and ultra high frequency (UHF) for optimized indoor use. Bright red and for emergency use only, SmartFind R8F will support firefighters at sea during potentially life-threatening situations.
McMurdo’s position as a trusted marine safety brand pre-dates the IMO SOLAS requirements with the manufacture of radios in 1937. McMurdo's Global Shore Based Maintenance Network (SBM) ensures that commercial customers have the confidence of a GDMSS product portfolio with the widest possible geographical coverage, combined with the most stringent training requirements.
McMurdo’s commercial customers benefit from international sales support with representatives in over 130 countries, supported by McMurdo’s U.K., U.S. and French distress beacon hubs.
McMurdo’s ship set of EPIRBs, SARTs, VHF radios and Navtecs have been at the heart of supporting the mandated GMDSS safety requirement since its full implementation in 1999 and have been a driving force in the adoption of AIS SART technology.
For more information about McMurdo products, visit www.mcmurdogroup.com.
