Fires can be defined as combustion reactions that result from a combination of heat, fuel and oxygen. The fuels that feed the fire however may be one or more of many things. It is the fuel type that allows for the classification if fires.

Fires can be divided into four (4) categories as follows:

• CLASS A: Class A fires burn normal combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth and plastics. They represent some of the fires with which persons are most familiar.
• CLASS B: Class B fires feed off flammable fluids such as grease, gasoline and oil. The main hazard arising from the presence of these fires is that they cannot be extinguished with water. Water only helps to spread the flames as the non-soluble liquids that feed the fire are insoluble in water and will in fact float on it.
• CLASS C: Class C fires refer to electrical fires. These are usually started by faulty wiring and the burning through of wire coatings containing live wires. Here again, the use of water in an effort to extinguish these fires only serves to aggravate the situation by creating an electrical shock hazard in addition to the fire.
• CLASS D: Class D fires are by far the least common of all the fire types. They involve the burning of metal and usually require a lot of heat to get started. They usually occur only in homes after another fire type has begun, or in labs where volatile metals (such as sodium) are being used. Neither water nor normal carbon dioxide extinguishers are appropriate for the dousing of these fires as both of these chemicals will react with the metal at the temperature at which the fire occurs.

Fire extinguishers are classified based on the types of fires they can control. They usually release a gas or powder to obstruct the availability of oxygen to the fire. The following describes the extinguishers that can be used on eth appropriate fires. The extinguishers mentioned are not the only types of extinguishers, but, rather, are some of the more common types.

• Class A: These are mostly water extinguishers. (Note: Sprinkler systems can be used in place of or along with these in the station.)
• Class BC: Class BC fire extinguishers come in two forms: powder and gas. The powder form contains either sodium or potassium carbonate, while the gas form has carbon dioxide.
• Class ABC: These extinguishers use an ammonium phosphate powder to smother the flames.
• Class D: Class D fire extingushers are build mostly for laboratory conditions, and are often only qualified for magnesium, sodium, and other volatile metals.

The Atlantis One research facility, as designed is to be placed at a depth of one hundred and twenty (120) feet below sea-level in the Great Blue Hole. Water pressure increases with depth at a rate of about one (1) atmosphere every thirty-three (33) feet. This means that they will be subjected to a pressure of about three and a half (3.5) atmospheres. This produces an environment in which humans cannot survive for any length of time, unless proper measures are put in place. One of the main health concerns is the condition known as nitrogen narcosis. This may occur when a diver goes below a level of one hundred (100) feet below sea-level. The nitrogen (which normally comprises about seventy-nine percent (79%) of air becomes more soluble in the blood and may enter the brain cells, causing what is called "martini effect". Here, the diver loses manual dexterity, the ability to think properly and so on, much like the effects of consuming large amounts of alcohol. The effects have been found to begin at a depth of thirty-three (33) feet, becoming more evident as depth increases such that it should be expected at a depth of at least one hundred (100) feet.

Another major concern when diving is decompression sickness, more commonly known as "the bends". This condition presents itself if the ascent to sea-level is done too quickly when the air being breathed is much like that in the atmosphere. Again, the primary cause is the increased solubility of gases into the blood as depth increases. In ascending to the surface, the dissolved gases get released from the blood. If ascension is done quickly, the rate at which the gases leave their dissolved state increases as well. Hence, the blood appears to "boil" as the gases form bubbles. The condition is extremely painful and potentially fatal.

As discovered in our research, on average, each human being working at a moderate level consumes about one point five (1.5) liters of oxygen per minute. At rest the amount is reduced to about point four (0.4) liters per minute. Taking into account the fact that the members of the team conducting missions aboard Atlantis One may be subject to strenuous work (possibly outside the station), the oxygen "allowance" per person is about four thousand (4000) liters per day. Hence, the quantity of oxygen required per mission will vary as follows:

Number of People	Number of Days	Liters of Oxygen (Thousands)
6	14	336
6	15	360
6	16	384
7	14	392
7	15	420
7	16	448
8	14	448
8	15	480
8	16	512
9	14	504
9	15	540
9	16	576

(Note: If there are any unused tanks upon the completion of any mission, they may be reused in another mission after having been approved for such recycling by the appropriate personnel.)

As the pressure of the station differs from the pressure at the surface, the following concentrations of gases will be used:

Concentration	By Percentage	By Partial Pressure
Oxygen	4.67	0.21
Nitrogen	31.00	1.40
Helium	62.30	2.80
Other	2.00	0.09

DECONTAMINAITON

Carbon dioxide will be filtered out by circulating air through porous soda-lime (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide). Activated carbon filters will be used to filter out contaminants and odors.

Carbon dioxide levels will be kept at to 0.005 atm (0.095% by volume). The rate of ventilation will be determined by the level of carbon dioxide.

DEHUMIDIFICATION

Relative humidity will be kept at 70%. Dehumidification will be accomplished by cooling air to condense moisture. The air will be reheated before being released into the station.

OYGEN REPLENISHMENT

Oxygen will be kept at a constant pressure of 0.21 atm (4.0% by volume). To avoid redundancy, the level of ogyxen will be determined by the carbon dioxide levels.

Every 8 years approximately, Belize experiences a subterranean earthquake of magnitude 6.0 on the Richter scale in the ocean at the fault between Hunting Caye and Puerto Cortez. According to the Belize Development Trust (the country lacks a National Earthquake Information Center seismic station), Belize has a one hundred percent (100%) chance of seeing five (5) earthquakes and seventy-five (75%) chance of seeing ten (10) in the next century.