In November 2012 the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee adopted a number of amendments to SOLAS. Two of the amendments deal with fireman’s outfits and this Circular is intended to provide early advice to shipowners and others of the requirement. Changed and additional requirements to Regulation 10, Chapter II-2. A new paragraph 10.4 is added after the existing paragraph 10.3 and which says: “10.4 Fire-fighter’s communication for ships constructed on or after 1 July 2014, a minimum of two two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus for each fire party for fire-fighter’s communication shall be carried on board. Those two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus shall be of an explosion-proof type or intrinsically safe. Ships constructed before 1 July 2014 shall comply with the requirements of this paragraph not later than the first survey after 1 July 2018.” The requirement clearly applies to new buildings from 1 July 2014 and to existing ships from 1 July 2018.