PS 601
DEC 02
30
Fire Safety
• Never smoke or carry matches,
lighters or other fire-producing items
into any ammunition storage area.
• Keep waste materials such as oily
rags, solvents, paint cans, and paper out
of ammunition storage areas.
• Remove dry vegetation in and around
ammunition storage areas.
• Be familiar with the fire plan and the
organization of the ammunition storage
area’s firefighting crew. Check out AR
420-90,
Fire and Emergency Services.
• Know the location of fire extinguisher
points within the storage area.
MILVAN/Container Storage
• Place sandbags along the sides and ends of the containers to reduce exposure to
the sun.
For more information on solar covers, check out this web-site:
The solar covers are available from war reserve stock. Units pay for shipping
charges only. Contact the War Reserve Manager, Chris Elliott at DSN 793-3993,
(309) 782-3993, or
elliottc@ria.army.mil
.
You can also contact SBCCOM’s Frank Kostka at DSN 256-5257, (508) 233-
5257, or
frank.kostka@natick.army.mil
for more information.
In desert-like
environments,
you’ll need to
take steps to
minimize the
effects of solar
radiation on
containers full
of ammunition…
Field storage of ammunition in
MILVANs and other ISO containers
represents a halfway point between
outdoor storage and indoor magazine
storage. When storing your ammuni-
tion in containers, here are some
good points to remember:
• Do not place the containers direct-
ly on the ground. At a minimum,
place 4x4 inch or larger wood boards
under each corner block to prevent
damage to the cross members.
• Do not modify the containers in
any way. If you add ventilation holes,
welded ramps, or nailed-in struc-
tures, they won’t meet international
shipping standards.
• Treat
containers
carefully.
Remember, they will be needed to
ship unused ammunition back to
your home station!
• Allow ventilation by opening doors
as much as possible, consistent with
safe and secure operations.
• Use ammunition solar covers or camouflage netting to block solar radiation
and provide natural ventilation. Provide a minimum of 18 inches between cover
and container.
Protect
your ammo
with solar
covers!
Fire and
excessive heat
are the
two
greatest
hazards
to
ammunition.
Heed
these fire
safety
rules…
31
go easy,
charlie!
We’re
gonna need
these containers
for the return
trip, too!