Coast Guard changes fire extinguisher rule for boats
By Terry Murry on Friday, April 1st, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office is reminding boaters to check their fire extinguishers. Beginning April 20, a new federal regulation goes into effect for fire protection on recreational vessels.
According to the new U.S. Coast Guard regulation, if a disposable (non-rechargeable) fire extinguisher has a date of manufacture stamped on the bottle, for example “05” means 2005, and it is older than 12, the extinguisher is considered expired and must be removed from service.
Boaters can tell if a fire extinguisher is approved for use by boaters as the bottle will state “Marine Type – USCG Approved”. Underwriters Laboratories approves fire extinguishers on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard. The new regulation does not change when marine fire extinguishers are required, the number of extinguishers required, or which recreational boats are required to carry marine fire extinguishers.
The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office warns boaters that if deputies encounter anyone on the water with an expired, defective, or with no mandatory fire extinguisher, a citation can be issued under state law.
The recently published fire extinguisher requirements for recreational boaters can be found at https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/fire-extinguisher-faq.php.
