Fire and Rescue International Vol 2 No 12 by Fire and Rescue International

Integrated fire, rescue, EMS and incident command technology

Volume 2 No 12

Contents 2

Comment

Competition 3 FRI Images 4

Cover profile New service industry giant Kishugu goes global

International Fire Fighters Day 2014 6 Overstrand hosts gala event in commemoration of International Fire Fighters Day 8 International Fire Fighters Day commemoration in Hermanus FPASA Nation Fire Fighting competition 20 National fire competition - by Peter Davey

IFSEC South Africa 2014 55 Leading fire and safety organisations pitch up at IFSEC exhibition Case study 57 Rescue operations during helicopter accident on board the motor vessel, Jolly Rubino - by Andre Tomlinson What’s on? 62 Fire, disaster and rescue related events across the globe Poem 64 No greater reward - by Shaun Aunkst

News 16 Dräger celebrates its 125th anniversary 19

New major pumper for Overstrand Fire Service

Death toll of 293 after South Korean ferry disaster

Fire spread through Cape Town informal settlement

Hundreds of people killed in Afghanistan mudslide

Multiple injuries in Western Cape bus crash

Illegal miners killed in mine collapse in Colombia

Hilltop fires in Chile create havoc

Fire fighting nozzles 27 Fire fighting nozzles: fog versus solid stream - by Colin Deiner 36

Fire service Matjhabeng Fire Service expanding

Ascending to fire chief from the township

Fire safety 43 Fire prevention strategies: The importance of reliable data - by Rodney Eksteen 46

Fre protection association North West Umbrella FPA successfully launched

NAMPO 2014 Africa’s networking platform for agriculture

Wildfire Investigation Part 5 51 How to go about becoming a veldfire investigator - by Rodney Eksteen Training 52 Fire training school taps into plethora of opportunities Heritage 52 Full military honours - by Lenny Naidoo

26 Volume 2 No. 12

Comment Editor Lee Raath-Brownie lee@fireandrescue.co.za Cell 082 371 0190 Journalist Sylvester Haskins edit@fireandrescue.co.za Cell 071 641 3884 Advertising Marinda-Ann Vercellotti advertising@fireandrescue.co.za Cell 079 107 3967 Design and layout Marc Raath marc@fireandrescue.co.za Finance Noddie Knibbs accounts@fireandrescue.co.za Circulation Vicki Jacob subs@fireandrescue.co.za Secretary Vicki Jacob pa@fireandrescue.co.za Administration Mirriam Moroane Contributions United States Shaun Aunkst Africa Colin Deiner Rob Erasmus Lenny Naidoo Rodney Eksteen Ian Schnetler Andrè Tomlinson Peter Davey Publisher Lee Raath-Brownie FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL Tel 011 452 3135/6 Fax 086 671 6920 Box 8299 Greenstone 1616 Subscriptions 12 editions per annum South Africa R285 per annum incl VAT Non-subscribers: R35 incl VAT per issue Southern Africa (airmail) R480 per annum

Serving those who serve. Our slogan since our first issue and continuing to serve those who serve in our 24th issue. This edition of Fire and Rescue International (FRI) continues to bring you local and international news, a fire service and CFO profile, fire safety strategies, wildfire investigation tactics and a training centre profile. We commemorate International Fire Fighters Day in Hermanus and provide you with an update on the use of fire fighting nozzles. Enjoy reading and sharing this issue!

Lee Raath-Brownie

Cover profile Our front cover features the new service industry giant, Kishugu and its recent launch in Mbombela (Nelspruit), South Africa. The Group has its roots in wildfire fighting, suppression and prevention and is expanding into the global market. FRI Images photographic competition A wildfire fighting photograph won one of our readers the competition this month. See page 3 for details. CONGRATULATIONS! Submit your high-resolution photograph featuring a rescue, emergency, incident or fire scene and win R2 000 cash! News section International Fire Fighters Day commemorations in Hermanus lead our news section this month and include the handover ceremony of the new Marcè major pumper to Overstrand Fire Service. We also feature the South Korean ferry disaster, informal settlement fires in Cape Town and the Afghan mudslide. Other news include the Columbian mine collapse and Chilean wildfires. Fire fighting nozzles Colin Deiner addresses the age-old debate: fog versus solid stream nozzles and unpacks the pros and cons of each. Deiner discusses the history, research, test results and selection criteria of fire fighting nozzles, highlights the importance of training and attempts to unclutter a very controversial topic. Fire service Fire and Rescue International visited Matjhabeng Fire Service, situated in the Free State and we profile this service and its acting chief fire officer, James Mkhwanazi, in this issue. Matjhabeng has recently increased its fire fighting arsenal and we share its risk profile, major incidents, resources and challenges with our readers. Fire safety The importance of reliable data as part of fire prevention strategies is highlighted by Rodney Eksteen, who deliberates the identification of local fire problems and hazards and high risk locations, times, population and behaviour. Eksteen also emphasises the necessity of analysis to prioritise fire problems and to look at the bigger picture. Fire protection association (FPA) FRI profiles the North West Umbrella FPA and outlines its risk profile, area of operation, fire statistics, its area of operations, risk profile, challenges and major incidents. Events: NAMPO and IFSEC 2014 We review Grain South Africa’s NAMPO Harvest Day 2014 and share the fire fighting technology showcased in view of the winter fire season. FRI also visited IFSEC and OSH Expo Africa 2014 and we showcase its various exhibitors. Wildfire investigation In the fifth and final article in the series on wildfire investigation, Rob Erasmus of Enviro Wildfire Services explains how to become a wildfire investigator. Training We profile Goldfields Emergency Fire Services Training Academy (GEFSTA), its history, facilities and challenges. Heritage Lenny Naidoo details the tradition, etiquette and procedures of full military honours in memory of a fallen brother.

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A very BIG thank you to our contributors, readers and advertisers for their continued support. We value your opinion so share it with us! Fire and Rescue International is your magazine. Read it, use it and share it!

Lee Raath-Brownie Publisher

Volume 2 No. 12

Images

This month’s FRI images winner! Congratulations to Patrick Ryan for his photograph ‘Duck and cover’ taken with a Sony NEX7 Mirrorless with zoom lens set to 18mm, a shutter speed of 1/1000 and a 9 F-stop.

Well done!

Photo description: Taken on the wildfire at the Berg River Dam, Western Cape, just after dawn broke. We’d hiked for about three kilometres up the mountain to a height of just over 1 100 metres, battling the fire throughout the night and found the last part of the active right flank. The choppers arrived and assisted us in putting it out. Dangerous work on a steep slope.

Patrick Ryan wins this month’s prize money of R 2 000!

Submit your rescue, fire or EMS photo and win R2 000! Fire and Rescue International (FRI) has introduced a monthly photographic competition to all its readers. This exciting competition offers you the opportunity of submitting your digital images of fires, fire fighters, disasters, emergencies and rescues.

The rules are simple: • • • • • • • •

All photographs submitted must be in jpeg format and not bigger than 4 megabytes. Photographs must be in high resolution (minimum 1500 pixels on the longest edge @ 300dpi) for publishing purposes Allowed: cropping, curves, levels, colour saturation, contrast, brightness, sharpening but the faithful representation of a natural form, behaviour or phenomenon must be maintained. Not allowed: cloning, merging/photo stitching, layering of two photos into one final frame, special effects digital filters. Fire and Rescue International (FRI) reserves the right to publish (printed or digitally) submitted photographs with acknowledgement to the photographer. Winners will be chosen on the merit of their photograph. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into afterwards. Brief description should accompany photo.

Entries must include:

Name of photographer Contact details (not for publishing) Email: (not for publishing) Name of photograph Brief description of photograph including type of fire Camera, lens and settings used

All entries must be emailed to: lee@fireandrescue.co.za.

>>ENTER NOW! Volume 2 No. 12

Cover profile

Lizette Heine, Johan Heine, Chris de Bruno Austin and Petronel Nieuwoudt

New service industry giant Kishugu goes global

new South African-based services industry giant with a global footprint - was launched in Mbombela (Nelspruit), Mpumalanga in May 2014. Kishugu, which has its roots in forest and wildfire fighting, suppression and prevention, is set to light up the global stage with its international experience and strategic approach to integrated fire management (IFM) and a wide range of related services provided by 11 aligned divisions.

Kishugu, the Swahili word for an anthill, was formerly known as the FFA Group of Companies; internationally acknowledged as the implementers, for over a decade, of the awardwinning South African Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Working on Fire Programme. (WoF). With a compliment, in South Africa alone, of more than 5 000 wildfire fighters drawn from the ranks of the previously unemployed, WoF is the most successful job creation and skills upliftment programme in the history of the country.

Chairman of the board, Louis Buys 4

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In Chile, Working on Fire International successfully deploys more than 1 200 wildfire fighters, whose tasks include wildfire suppression and integrated fire management. Working on Fire International is also currently engaged in wildfire suppression training and integrated fire management in Australia and Brasil. Explaining the need for rebranding and restructuring, Kishugu cofounder and co-managing director, Johan Heine says that the FFA Group had

Joseph Mganbula and Trevor Abrahams

Cover profile expanded rapidly since its inception over a decade ago. “Corporate and staff structures that evolved during this steep growth curve have become outdated and in certain cases are no longer as cost-effective as they should be. The Group has also reached a level of corporate maturity and has embarked on a process to attract additional investment to fund future growth,” states Heine. According to cofounder and comanaging director, Chris de Bruno Austin: “Ours is a humble-beginnings story. We started as a small business in Nelspruit and we are now going global with a distinctive brand and identity.” The name Kishugu was selected to reflect the industriousness of ants, “which are a perfect example of a broad collective that works for the common good”, says Heine. De Bruno Austin and Heine both driven by a passion ‘to make a difference’ worked closely together in their individual companies before forming the FFA in 2003.

They also assisted the South Africa Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in the drafting and refining of South Africa‘s veld and forest fire act. “But Kishugu is far more than simply a wildfire fighting company”, says de Bruno Austin. “We offer a full range of services that are deployed globally”. The 11 divisions of the Kishugu Group include: • Kishugu Integrated Fire Management Services and Working on Fire including WoF International with contracts in Chile and Australia • Kishugu Aviation • Kishugu New Business Development • Kishugu Business Services • Kishugu Finance and Investments • Kishugu Fleet Management • Kishugu Integrated Forestry Services • Kishugu Oil and Gas • Kishugu Training • Kishugu Manufacturing and Sales • A Non-Profit Company responsible for corporate social investment

Michael Jackson Kishugu also supplies and manufactures fire fighting equipment and operates fire management and health and safety training academies in Angola, Mozambique, Brazil and Chile, where it also provides fire management services to the forestry industry.

The Kishugu launch which was held in Mbombela (Nelspruit)

Volume 2 No. 11

International Fire Fighters Day 2014

Overstrand hosts gala event in commemoration of International Fire Fighters Day

nternational Fire Fighters Day 2014 was commemorated in Hermanus, Western Cape, in South Africa on 3 May 2014. The event was proudly hosted by the Overstrand Local Municipality. The celebrations were preceded by a gala dinner held at the Zwelihle Community Hall situated in Hermanus and included an awards ceremony by the Overstrand Fire and Rescue Service.

Mayor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie

Divisional commander, Brian Lobb, was the master of ceremonies and

director for protection services, Neville Michaels, welcomed all after the opening prayer by Chaplain Mark Robson. Fire fighters of the Hermanus Fire and Rescue Service treated all to a high energy dance routine, which was followed by municipal manager, Coenie Groenewaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s address. Mayor Nicolette BothaGuthrie proudly said that every man in uniform is her favourite and that she can call on them to attend to the needs of the people. Mossel Bay Municipalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief fire officer (CFO), Joseph Johnston, spoke on behalf of the Southern African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI) and said that although history has shaped and moulded him into a CFO, he is still a fire fighter at heart and yearned to respond when the alarm sounded. He continued saying that fire fighters

Coenie Groenewald

Neville Michaels

Chaplain Mark Robson

CFO Joseph Johnston

Nelson Nkanunu

Etienne du Toit

CFO Lester Smith

Angelo Aplon

Volume 2 No. 12

International Fire Fighters Day 2014

IFFD 2014 gala evening held in Hermanus

Volume 2 No. 12

International Fire Fighters Day 2014

International Fire Fighters Day commemoration in Hermanus

outh Africa’s Overstrand Local Municipality hosted this year’s International Fire Fighters Day (IFFD) commemoration. The illustrious event was held in Hermanus in the Western Cape on 3 May 2014.

A convoy of more than 30 fire, rescue and emergency response vehicles drove through Main Road in Hermanus, sirens ringing and lights flashing, drawing quite a crowd and then parked at the old harbour area, to the delight of young and old. History International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) is commemorated worldwide on 4 May in recognition and honour of the

sacrifices made by fire fighters to ensure that their communities and environment are as safe as possible. It is also a day in which current and past fire fighters can be thanked for their contributions. Saint Florian, the patron saint of fire fighters, is also another symbolic element to International Fire Fighters Day. St

Nelson Nkanunu, law enforcement officer for Hermanus, sang a very powerful rendition of the opera Nessun Dorma which earned him a standing ovation.

Du Toit also reiterated the importance of living a balanced life and added that CFOs had a huge responsibility in managing fire fighters but that they shouldn’t forget their roots. “The fire service is the soul of the municipality and politicians are the people that ensure the fire service is prioritised in budgets,” said Du Toit. He concluded in reading the Firemans Prayer and quoted Edward Crocker of New York Fire Department.

The Western Cape disaster management centre’s assistant director, Etienne du Toit, applauded Nkanunu’s powerful performance and continued saying: “we are here to serve. As fire fighters, we are the last line of defence. When the phone rings and a person is having the worst day of his life, we are his hope. For us it might seem like an insignificant issue but not for the caller.”

Overstrand Fire Service’s chief fire officer, Lester Smith, concluded the evening’s events in thanking the mayor and all the dignitaries including Jan and Danielle Steyn of Marce Fire Fighting Technology who sponsored the event, the CFOs, divisional officers and the people who assisted in making the event possible.

should know their key performance indicators (KPIs) and what they do for their community. “It doesn’t say hero on the back of the uniform but fire fighter,” added Johnston. He concluded by reading the poem ‘a fire fighter’.

Saluting during the arrival of the motorcade of various fire, rescue and emergency vehicles

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International Fire Fighters Day 2014

Mayor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie

Angelo Aplon

Florian was a patron from Noricum, Rome in three hundred AD, who was said to be one of the first commanding fire fighters of an actual battalion. As legend states, St Florian saved an entire village engulfed in flames using just a single bucket of water. On 4 May, St Florian is globally recognised and honoured and is also known as the day of St Florian. IFFD 2014 Hermanus station commander, Angelo Aplon, welcomed all after which Chaplain Mark Robson said a prayer for fire fighters past and present. Chaplain Robson added that when there is an incident, success doesn’t depend on the grip of the person being rescued but on the grip of the rescuer.

CFO Lester Smith

Chaplain Mark Robson

Cape Winelands District Municipality platoon commander, Heinrich Louw, explained the ringing of the bell. “The ringing of the bell and the Fire Fighter’s Prayer are two traditions of the fire service that reflect respect and honour to those who gave their lives to their duty. The ringing of the bell represents the end of the emergency and the return to quarters and is usually three rings of the bell, three times.” Louw continued, “In the past, as fire fighters began their tour of duty, it was the bell that signalled the beginning of that day’s shift. Throughout the day and night, each alarm was sounded by a bell, which summoned these brave souls to fight fires and to place their lives in jeopardy for the good of their fellow citizen. And when the fire was out

The 32 vehicle-strong motorcade arriving at the Old Harbour Volume 2 No. 12

International Fire Fighters Day 2014

and the alarm had come to an end, it was the bell that signalled to all the completion of that call. When a fire fighter had died in the line of duty, paying the supreme sacrifice, it was the mournful toll of the bell that solemnly announced a comrade’s passing. We utilise these traditions as symbols, which reflect honour and respect on those who have given so much and who have served so well. To symbolise the devotion that these brave souls had for their duty, a special signal of three rings,

three times each, represents the end of our comrades’ duties and that they will be returning to quarters. And so, to those who have selflessly given their lives for the good of their fellow man, their tasks completed, their duties well done, to our comrades, their last alarm, they are going home,” shared Louw. Overstrand’s chief fire officer, Lester Smith, shared the history of the very first fire service and said that these bonds have stood the test of time. Smith also said that

‘Patient’ being prepared for airlift

WoF Huey airlifting ‘patient’

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Airlift in action

International Fire Fighters Day 2014

the event proudly showcased their achievement and development. Mayor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie also addressed the crowd, emphasising the importance of commemorating and celebrating the life of fire fighters saying, “This profession isn’t an ordinary day-to-day job. It requires the highest level of dedication and commitment from them and their families.” Mayor Botha-Guthrie spoke from the heart and added, “This selfless profession isn’t

understood by the public. Many sacrifices have been made by unselfish and unwavering commitment to save lives. This is a truly noble profession.” Drakenstein’s chief fire officer, Derick Damons, on behalf of Southern African Emergency Services Institution (SAESI), explained the role and responsibilities of a fire fighter in modern society. Damons added, “We are proudly South African but we are also proudly fire fighter.”

NSRI preparing to receive ‘rescued’ swimmers

FFA Aviation’s chopper Romeo

WoF Huey airlifting ‘patient’

Volume 2 No. 12

International Fire Fighters Day 2014 Fire engines, fire fighters and emergency personnel from the district municipalities of West Coast, Overberg, Eden, Cape Winelands, City of Cape Town, local municipalities of Stellenbosch, Overstrand, Drakenstein, Breede Valley, Lange¬berg and Hessequa, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), Working on Fire (WoF), Western Cape Emergency Medical Rescue Service, EMR Ambulance Services and Overstrand Medical Response contributed to the successful day.

MVA vehicle extrication

The commemoration also served as the opportune event for Overstrand Fire Service to take ownership of its brand new major pumper. Marcè Fire Fighting Technology’s Jan and Danielle Steyn were at hand to hand over the new vehicle to a proud Mayor Botha-Guthrie. Fire and rescue demonstra¬tions Various fire and rescue demonstra¬tions were held by the dif¬ferent emergency responders and fire fighters in order for the public to get a glimpse of a day in the life of a fire fighters, rescuers and emergency responders.

Well-executed extrication in process

‘Patient’ removal during extrication

Overberg Fire and Rescue, together with the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) put together a sea rescue demonstration, with people in ‘distress’ being airlifted by a Working on Fire (WoF) Huey to the safety of two different NSRI vessels. City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue presented a fire fighting drill and included a foam demonstration to the delight of the children. This was followed by a highangle rope rescue exercise done by Overstrand Fire and Rescue and the Western Cape Emergency Medical Services, also assisted by the WoF Huey. Working on Fire performed one of their precision squad drills, which was followed by an extrication of a motor vehicle accident (MVA) executed by Overstrand Fire and Rescue, Western Cape Emergency Medical Services and EMR Ambulance Service. The demonstrations ended with a joint fire attack using monitors by Cape Winelands District Fire Service and West Coast District Municipality Fire and Rescue Service. Fire Fighters Team Challenge Overstrand Municipality also hosted a Fire Fighters Team Challenge that included carrying a rescue dummy in a stretcher, pulling a charged fire hose and rolling it up, striking a grader tyre with a sledge hammer over a certain distance, flipping the grader tyre over the same distance and a ladder climb to the top of a container and down again.

Working on Fire squad drill

Municipal manager Coenie Groenewald, Mayor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie and CFO Smith enjoying the demonstrations 12

Volume 2 No. 12

Strap

Teams preparing for the start of the challenge

Moving the grader tyre with a sledgehammer

Charged hose run

Teamwork!

Ladder work

Rolling the hose 14

Volume 2 No. 12

Dummy on stretcher run

International Fire Fighters Day 2014 Ten teams entered the challenge. Each team consisted of four fire fightÂŹers, each wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). The teams were very competitive and a large crowd supported and cheered them on.

Joe Schoeman thanking Angelo Aplon

FRI congratulates Eden District Municipality, who won the 2014 team challenge in a time of seven minutes and 32 seconds. Runners up were the Smoke Busters team from Breede Valley Municipality and third came the Bleve team from City of Cape Town. Drakenstein MuniciÂŹpality won the best team spirit prize and Overstrand Municipality the best team name, Fire Dynamite.

IFFD Fire fighters team challenge results - Hermanus

Team name Eden Smoke Busters 2 BLEVE Tokyo Dragons Stellenbosch Eagles Fire Dynamite Air Force Ghost Riders Overberg

Municipality Eden District Municipality Breede Valley Municipality City of Cape Town Overstrand Municipality Drakenstein Municipality Stellenbosch Municipality Overstrand Municipality South African Air Force Overstrand Municipality Overberg Municipality

Time in min:sec 7:32:26 - Winners 8:02:65 8:15:22 8:26:13 8:31:50 - Winners of the best team spirit 8:32:03 8:41:87 - Best team name 9:34:43 9:54:50 10:38:40

And the winners are... Eden District Municipality

Runners up were the Smoke Busters team from Breede Valley

City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue were third

Mayor Botha-Guthrie thanking those who assisted Volume 2 No. 12

News

Dräger celebrates its 125th anniversary

Although the basic technology has hardly changed over the decades, the equipment continued to evolve in order to make working in a hostile environment, easier. The advancements include reduced weight and higher performance

erman medical and safety technology company, Dräger, is turning 125. Chairman of the executive board, Stefan Dräger, says this is “a good reason to pause and reflect on what makes Dräger special as well as a good reason to celebrate.”

In this context, he will travel throughout the anniversary year to customer events at the company’s international sites. Fire and Rescue International met up with him and his team at a customer event held in Johannesburg that highlighted the milestones in Dräger’s corporate history. “In the late year of 1990, we decided to open a subsidiary with German investment in South Africa. The establishment of a simulation centre at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, which we are just implementing, is one example for our current investment in this country and a clear indication of our commitment to communities in South Africa but also the neighbouring countries. We deeply believe in this continent, where South Africa is an important part of,” says Stefan Dräger.

The Lubeca valve 16

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The motto embodies the essence of what has driven the family-run company to develop excellent,

innovative technology for life for 125 years. The beginning It’s 1889. Johann Heinrich Dräger founded the company ‘Dräger und Gerling’ in Lübeck, Germany, with his business partner Carl Adolf Gerling. The business specialised selling equipment and innovations, such as beer tap systems, which use compressed carbon dioxide. Though it had been possible since the second half of the century to fill steel cylinders with high-pressure gas, the problem of removing the gas in a controlled and safe manner at low pressure remained. The flow of gas – and therefore of beer – is hard to control and irregular and the valves are often faulty. Dissatisfied with the available technology, Dräger and his son Bernhard, who has just qualified as a mechanic, begin working on a new innovation. The result: the Lubeca valve. For the first time, it was possible to precisely control the removal of carbon dioxide from a high-pressure tank. Dräger immediately patented his invention.

Designed to

go through

fire with you.

Dräger PSS® 5000 compressed air breathing apparatus The Dräger PSS 5000 SCBA is a new generation, high performance breathing apparatus for the professional firefighter. Combining advanced ergonomics with a wide range of configurable options the Dräger PSS 5000 provides the user with the comfort and versatility to meet the demands of first responders whenever breathing protection is required. Utilizing the established Dräger PSS Pneumatics, the Dräger PSS 5000 combines established technology, state-of-the-art materials and innovative thinking to create a SCBA for virtually any application.

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News

Dräger invented the Pulmotor in 1907

The first patent changes the growing company’s business. Dräger makes the risky decision not to sell has invention but to produce and sell it himself. The world’s first series-produced emergency respirator: Pulmotor While in London, Dräger watched as a young man was pulled from the Thames and resuscitated. A groundbreaking idea occurred to him in that moment. His idea was that people who have lost consciousness from a lack of

oxygen should be mechanically ventilated on the spot to bring them back to life. Back in Lübeck, Dräger invented the Pulmotor in 1907. It was the world’s first seriesproduced emergency respirator. The Pulmotor was first used in mines to rescue workers after a collapse. Hospitals began using this pioneering technology not long afterward. Fire training systems Dräger does not develop and manufacture technology for its

own sake. One such example is Dräger’s fire training system for airport fire services all over the world. Eighty percent of all aircraft accidents occur during takeoff and landing. To be prepared for such a situation, emergency responders need to train under the most realistic conditions possible. The Dräger system recreates the fuselage with its original dimension, which allows users to ignite the fuselage and fill it with smoke under controlled conditions. Fire service professionals can train how to extinguish a fire from outside the craft and execute evacuation procedures from inside until it all becomes second nature improving safety for emergency responders and passengers. Present day Fast forward to 2014. The Lubeca valve, which was the first reliable reducing valve for carbonic acid, revolutionised the world of pressurised gases. The technology behind the valve was applied in many different fields where it made what has previously been impossible, possible. Today, Dräger is a company that develops ‘Technology for life’. This technology protects, supports and saves lives in hospitals, mines, rescue services and industry. Dräger’s integrated hazard management systems include respiratory protection equipment, stationary and portable gas detection systems, professional diving equipment and systems, as well as alcohol and drug impairment detection. In collaboration with its customers, Dräger develops customised solutions, such as complete fire training systems, training concepts and workshops.

Rob Brown, Dr Stefan Dräger and Marius Fourie 18

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The company has about 13 000 employees worldwide and is currently present in more than 190 countries. The company has sales and service subsidiaries in over 50 countries. Its development and production facilities are based in Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, South Africa, the USA, Brazil, the Czech Republic and China.

New major pumper for Overstrand Fire Service

News

Overstrand Fire Services new major pumper arriving at the International Fire Fighters Day celebrations in Hermanus

verstrand Fire Service recently took ownership of a new major pumper at an event that formed part of the celebrations for International Fire Fighters Day, held this year in Hermanus, Western Cape, hosted by Overstrand Fire Service.

Overstrand Municipality’s Mayor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie was there to receive the pumper from Marce Fire Fighting Technology’s Jan and Danielle Steyn. A very proud Mayor Botha-Guthrie said that the three million Rand vehicle used the bulk of Overstrand’s budget of

R4,8 million. “But our people’s lives are worth every cent,” said Mayor Botha-Guthrie. Jan Steyn of Marce Fire Fighting Technology said that it was a pleasure dealing with Overstrand Municipality and commended its fire service and team members. Fire and Rescue International spoke to chief fire officer (CFO) Lester Smith and Hermanus station commander, Angelo Aplon, during the event.

The new urban pumper is built on a Mercedes Benz 1428 4x4 chassis with a Marce GRP crew cab

CFO Smith said that the new major pumper was designed maximise vehicle specifications against the available funds. Another contributing factor was the challenges faced by Overstrand Fire Service that includes a vast rural area sporting several farms and reserves. The area covered by the fire service is also very long and

Volume 2 No. 12

FPASA National Fire Fighting competition

National fire competition By Peter Davey, Editor ‘Fire Protection Journal’ and consultant, Fire Protection Association of Southern Africa (FPASA) tense, however, with protagonists from Denel, Idwala Lime, Rand Refinery, Rand Water, Tubatse Chrome and Voorspoed Mine (Debeers), shaping up against each other with gusto.

Fire teams being briefed prior to the hose drill event

he Fire Protection Association of Southern Africa (FPASA), held the 15th Annual National Fire Fighting competition at its Fire College in Boksburg on 22 May 2014.

Team event There were eight entrants in the fire team competition that missed a few regular competitors because of the mine strikes. The event remained

narrow, which impacts on response times, added CFO Smith.

“The Western Cape Chief Fire Officers Committee has specific norm and standards to which all fire engines (resources) should comply with. Our new fire engine was built to comply with the minimum specifications of an engine (urban pumper) type 1,” stated CFO Smith. The vehicle should have the following minimum capabilities: Pump capacity: 3 850 litre per minute • Tank capacity: 1 800 litres • Hoses: 63mm - 360m (12x30m) • 38mm - 300m (10x30m) • 25mm - 60m • Ladders: 9-10m or 13,5m/3 section extension ladder • Hydraulic rescue tools: full set with rams and chains (optional) • P ersonnel: four excluding driver and officer

Mayor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie with Jan Nel of Marce Fire Fighting Technology 20

Volume 2 No. 12

Hermanus station commander, Angelo Aplon, said that the new urban pumper is built on a

The hose drill event involves all team members. A briefing by the chief judge preceded the completion of a complex hose-laying, targetbased evolution that tested team safety and ingenuity and at times both the concentration and patience of the judges. In the end, Voorspoed Mine took the trophy and prizes sponsored by Santam, with previous winners Denel closely following them and Idwala Lime finishing a respectable third. A fire involving a transformer followed and was the target for two team members from each team. They had the challenge of subduing and snuffing out the spectacular fire using only

Mercedes Benz 1428 4x4 chassis with a Marce GRP crew cab fitted with four self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) sets jump seats. It boasts a Ziegler rear mounted pump capable of 4 000 litres per minute at 10 bar and 450 litres per minute at 40 bar. It has a 3 000 litres tank capacity and a 300 litre foam tank with around the pump foam proportioning. The pumper also sports a robotic light mast, ladder gantry, extended bumper with winch, deck monitor, hoses and ladder. “It complies with all norms and standards,” says Aplon. “This fire engine will assist us to provide a more effective service to the community of Overstrand Municipality and will improve our capabilities to attend to structural fires, accidents and Informal dwelling fires,” concluded Aplon.

FPASA National Fire Fighting competition two powder extinguishers. This event can be dangerous and the fire often got the better of the teams who were blessed with a useful amount of bravado and endeavour. Thus, Idwala Lime took the spoils donated by Hollard, with Rand Water coming second and Denel a creditable third. The final extinguisher drill was a one-person affair. Not that the test was less challenging; it was compounded by a pool fire that had a ladder standing in it giving the evolution a three-dimensional character that had the better of many participants. Again, safety was of the essence and any threat was interrupted by an assigned safety official who sounded a blast on an air horn to terminate the drill when necessary. Mutual and Federal sponsored the prizes that went to the participant from Tubatse Chrome, followed by fine efforts from the representatives of Denel and Voorspoed Mine respectively. Fire marshals It had become evident some years back that teams alone could not have the exclusive fun of testing themselves in this competition. An event was duly arranged for administration personnel who are not part of an industrial fire team, but still have the supportive role of evacuation and first aid fire fighting. Six companies ‘volunteered’ 22 individuals to carry their flag in this experience. As individuals, the

Fire team members attack a transformer fire at the FPASA National Fire Fighting competition

fire marshals tackled a technical written quiz; then a practical fire extinguishing test; an office fire involving a computer and an evolution using a fire hose reel. The drills were performed with zest and energy and the supporters were vocal. For the first time there were multiple winners in the quiz, with Liberty and Rand Refinery representatives taking the honours, six runner’s up and two persons coming in third. The pan fire event was taken by Protection Projects; the computer fire drill by Witfield Park Old Age Home and the hose reel effort was dominated by Rand Refinery. Santam, AIG and the FPASA sponsored prizes for them.

A competitor in the fire marshal’s competition deals with a computer fire

Victaulic trophy A unique challenge was given to teams this year. Two participants from each team were given the opportunity of assembling pump and pipe valves against the clock. Power hand tools were provided to put together two examples of valve/ pipe configurations. The commitment of the crews was eager and intense enough for Victaulic to have to replace bolts during the frenetic action won ultimately by the pair from Denel. Given that no one had seen the equipment before, the simplicity of the assembly speaks volumes for the future use of this technology in fire protection equipment. The Victaulic floating trophy for this event will be coveted in future competitions. Overall winners Nothing could take away any kudos from the overall winners. Consistent performance and ability and technique, under widely varying trials saw R Sebetha from Rand Refinery take the honours in the fire marshal’s event with Liberty Life competitors as runners up and in third place. It was all about the teams in the long run and the blokes from Voorspoed Mine earned the esteemed winners title. Denel and Tubatse Chrome were second and third respectively. Sponsors involved in recognising them included Lion of Africa, Zurich and SASRIA. Volume 2 No. 12

News

Death toll of 293 after South Korean ferry disaster arrive and he feared for passengers’ safety in the cold water. President Geun-hye said that the instruction was tantamount to an ‘act of murder’. South Korean prime minister Chung Hong-Won, resigned from his post after the incident, blaming corruption for the sinking of the passenger ferry.

The South Korean ferry capsized while carrying 476 people

ferry carrying more than 470 capsized on the southwestern coast of South Korea in April this year, claiming the lives of many of the passengers and four crew members on board the 6 825 ton ship. Eleven passengers still remain missing. The sinking of the MV Sewol occurred on 16 April 2014 en route from Incheon towards Jeju. The Japanese-built South Korean ferry capsized while carrying 476 people, mostly secondary school students from Danwon High School in Ansan City. The 6 825-ton vessel sent a distress signal from about 2,7 kilometres north off Byeongpungdo at 08h58 Korea Standard Time. Only 172 people, including 22 of the ship’s 33 crew members, survived. Of the 172 survivors, many were rescued by fishing boats and other commercial vessels, which were first on the scene before the arrival approximately 30 minutes later of the South Korean coast guard and Republic of Korea Navy RoK) ships, backed by helicopters. A massive rescue operation was undertaken to recover bodies and search for survivors of the ferry, many of whom were high school students on a school outing. About 47 divers were conducting search operations, while 198 rescue ships and 37 airplanes were deployed to help search possible bodies swept far away from the scene. Although underwater searches for the bodies were hampered by strong currents and bad

Volume 2 No. 12

weather, divers continued their search for survivors inside the ship’s wreckage a few kilometres from Byeongpung Island, which is not far from the mainland and about 470 kilometres from Seoul. An Undine Marine Industries veteran diver died while searching for bodies at a depth of 25 metres. He became the first victim among scores of mobilised divers at the ferry disaster site. In spite of the death, divers continued their search. In total, one navy sailor and two civilian divers perished in the search. South Korean President Park Geunhye ordered that all available navy, coast guard and other vessels assist in the rescue effort. Bungled response South Korean authorities have been criticised for the bungled response to the tragedy that is believed to have resulted in the death of the passengers on board the ferry. Rescue officials took a precariously long while before deciding to act on the initial distress calls from the ferry. Parents and relatives of the missing and the dead have blasted the response to the sinking, saying delays in launching the rescue had cost lives. Several crew members, including the ship captain, Lee Joon-seok, left the ferry as it was sinking, after passengers were told to stay in their cabins. Joonseok told reporters after his arrest that he withheld an evacuation order of the ferry, because rescuers had yet to

The vice-principal of a South Korean high school attended by the students on board the ferry committed suicide as hopes faded of finding any of the 274 missing alive. Fifty-two year old, Kang Min-gyu, appeared to have hanged himself with his belt from a tree outside a gym in the port city of Jindo a day after the incident. Causes The RoK Coast Guard has concluded that an ‘unreasonably sudden turn’ to starboard, was the cause of the capsizing. According to the coast guard, the sudden turn caused the cargo to shift to the left, causing the ship to experience an incline and to eventually become unmanageable for the crew. Overloading and the lack of proper securing of the cargo are also being seen as direct causes. The MV Sewol was carrying 3 608 tons of cargo, three times the limit of 987 tons. Adding to the ship’s instability was the fact that the Sewol was carrying only 580 tons of ballast water, substantially less than the recommended 2 030 tons, which would make the vessel more prone to list and capsize. The sinking of the Sewol has resulted in widespread social and political reaction within South Korea criticising the South Korean government and media for its disaster response and attempts to downplay government culpability. The sinking of the Sewol is the worst ferry disaster in South Korea since 14 December 1970, when the sinking of the ferry Namyoung cost 326 people out of 338 their lives. The captain and three crew members were charged with murder, while the other 11 members of the crew were indicted for abandoning the ship.

News

Fire spread through Cape Town informal settlement

The area in which the fire occurred is sandwiched between a formal residential area and the wetlands

large fire broke out on 23 May 2014 in the wetlands area of Masiphumelele, an informal settlement in Fish Hoek situated in the Western Cape, South Africa. Over 200 shacks were completely engulfed by flames with a huge smoke plume visible across the region. The hazards associated with informal settlement fires were evident. A volatile crowd interfered with fire fighting operations by cutting or poking holes in the hose to try and extinguish ‘their area’ of the fire. Assistance from law enforcement agencies was required as well as assistance from the waterworks department to boost the water pressure in the area. City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue received the call at 11h51 and two major pumpers responded from Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town fire stations, the first arriving at the scene at 12h01. Eleven major pumpers and five water tankers from Fish Hoek, Simon’s Town, Lakeside, Hout Bay, Wynberg, Mitchells Plain, Ottery, Epping,

Brooklyn and Gugulethu responded after the incident escalated. A command vehicle was also on scene instituting incident command. The initial divisional commander on the scene was platoon commander Sean AIiffe of Fish Hoek Fire Station, then station commander Geoffrey Whitehead of Lakeside Fire Station, which then escalated to divisional commander Denzil Ramedies, who was also the incident commander until the incident was deescalated.

provided food parcels, clothing, blankets, baby and toiletry packs to those affected. Temporary accommodation was made available in the Masiphumelele Community Hall.

The stop message was issued at 16h13 by the divisional commander on scene, indicating that the fire was now under control and no further resources were required. Approximately 200 dwelling units were destroyed in the fire, the cause if which has still not yet been established. The fire was eventually completely extinguished at 17h00 with all vehicles returning to their respective fire stations.

The Urbanisation Department is currently sourcing clean and dry materials to be placed on top of the wet soil where the fire occurred. The burnt section needs to be made habitable by creating a dry platform so that structures can be rebuilt.

The City of Cape Town’s Human Settlements Directorate and Disaster Risk Management Services provided interim relief to the victims. The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre

Because of the high density of the area and restricted access roads, the Human Settlements Directorate managed to gain access for the removal of the debris by filling the 3,5m wide and 1,5m deep storm water canal in the area in order to create an interim road.

The directorate also provided enhanced fire emergency kits for the rebuilding of structures. The enhanced emergency kits included poles, galvanised corrugated steel roof sheets, a door with a lockset or padlock and a window. The cause of the fire, which destroyed 200 structures and partially damaged 25, is still under investigation. Volume 2 No. 12

News

Hundreds of people killed in Afghanistan mudslide recently inundated Afghanistan, in which 150 people were killed earlier in the week. The flooding purportedly led to the collapse of the hillside above the village.

A landslide buried the Abi Barik village displacing 700 families

People were digging and looking for relatives themselves but a lack of machinery and equipment was hampering their search efforts. Aid groups and the Government struggled to reach the remote area in north-eastern Afghanistan bordering Tajikistan and China, with those affected say help was slow to arrive.

mudslide overwhelmed a village in Afghanistan in May this year, resulting in the death of 350 people, according to United Nations officials. Thousands more were still missing, according to media reports from Afghanistan. They were likely to be buried in the mudslide that struck the remote Abi Barik village in Badakhshan Province in northeaster Afghanistan.

Among the dead and missing were villagers who went to help their neighbours after an initial mudslide, but the hill collapsed a second time, said Afghanistan provincial governor, Shah Waliullah Adib.

Survivors were scrambling for emergency aid in the aftermath of the mudslide as Afghanistan army vehicles arrived with supplies in the days following the disaster. Hundreds of families struggled to get food and shelter in the remote part of the country. An official from the Natural Disaster Management Authority acknowledged that aid had yet to reach some people three days after the mudslide hit the village.

The mudslide covered some homes with more than 10 metres of mud, trapping thousands inside. The mudslide is said to be a consequence of the widespread flooding that

About 4 000 people have been displaced by the landslide and survivors have been warned against returning home because of the danger of more slides.

Multiple injuries in Western Cape bus crash

were injured, nine seriously. Africa said that four of the 18 that were injured were children, although he did not confirm whether any of those killed in the bus crash were children.

Western Cape Province traffic chief, Kenny Africa, said that ten people died at the scene and another person died in hospital. Another 18 passengers

National private ambulance network, ER24â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spokesperson, Werner Vermaak, said paramedics received a call about the incident in the early hours of the morning. Vermaak said the bus was going around a bend, about 15 kilometres outside Oudtshoorn, when a vehicle in front apparently swerved. The driver lost control and the bus fell

leven people were killed in a bus crash on the N12 between George and Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape, South Africa, in May 2014, with around 60 people believed to be involved in the accident. The road between George and Oudtshoorn was closed for several hours as the scene was cleared.

Volume 2 No. 12

onto its side, he added. Paramedics and police had to climb into the bus to free some people who were trapped in the debris, reported Vermaak. Among the injured was a five-yearold boy who was found lying in the bus next to the body of his mother. He was taken to a hospital in George. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was awake, but sustained serious fractures,â&#x20AC;? said Vermaak. The driver of the bus involved in the accident was arrested, according to the Western Cape police.

News

Illegal miners killed in mine collapse in Colombia

t least three people were killed, eight injured and between 20 and 30 others trapped when an illegal gold mine collapsed in Santander de Quilichao, a city in the south-western Colombian province of Cauca, emergency services officials reported. The collapse occurred in the rural district of San Antonio, fire chief Victor Claros told reporters. The bodies of three miners have been removed from the site, the fire chief said. The illegal miners used machinery to open huge holes to extract gold when one of the walls of the hole collapsed. A larger contingent took part in the rescue efforts of miners who were missing in the days following the incident. Local police, as well as civil defence and humanitarian organisation, Red Cross, collaborated in the rescue efforts. Rescue workers waited on heavy machinery, which was required to remove the copious volumes of mud so that sniffer dogs could be used for the search and rescue efforts. This was the second accident at an illegal mine in Colombia in less than a week. Four miners were killed and 65 others injured when they were exposed to toxic gases following an explosion at an illegal gold mine in Buritica, a city in

the north-western province of Antioquia. Mining accidents are common in Colombia, especially at Wildcat mines in poverty-stricken areas dominated by criminal gangs. Colombia’s National Mining Agency says 66 miningrelated incidents occurred from January to September of 2013, causing 71 deaths and 51 injuries.

Erratum

We received a letter from Dr Ernst HW Baard, executive director, CapeNature, who eluded to an error in FRI Vol 2 no 10, where we incorrectly credited a photograph to Dr Brian van Wilgen. Dr Baard said in his letter that “the photograph on page six of the geometric tortoise in your recent issue of Fire and Rescue International Vol 2 No 10 was not taken by Dr Brian van Wilgen but rather by Atherton de Villiers, scientific technician working for the CapeNature scientific services unit.” “This photograph is the ‘classic’ geometric tortoise picture that Atherton took in the 1980s and which has been (and is still) used regularly in CapeNature and other publications, posters, etc. The photograph has also been ‘ARKived’ see http://www.arkive.org/ geometric-tortoise/psammobates-geometricus/image-G25540 establishing Atherton firmly as the photographer,” writes Dr Baard. Fire and Rescue International apologises for the incorrect photo credit. Volume 2 No. 12

News

Hilltop fires in Chile create havoc

Twelve people died as fires broke out in Chile’s coastal city of Valparaiso

wildfire that swept through hundreds of homes in Valparaiso, a coastal city in Chile in South America in April this year, killed 12 people and destroyed at least 2 000 homes. More than 10 000 were evacuated as the blaze, which leaped from hilltop to hilltop in the port city of Valparaiso, left 8 000 people without a place to live and displaced more

than 200 female inmates at a local correctional facility. The wind hampered fire fighters’ ability to create firebreaks and the blaze had spread to more than 810 hectares, said Chile’s Interior Minister, Rodrigo Penailillo. More than 1 200 fire fighters worked to control the wind-whipped blaze that also affected the popular beach

suburb of Vina del Mar. The fire began in a forested area above dilapidated housing on one of the city’s 42 hilltops and spread quickly as high winds blowing seaward rained hot ash over wooden houses and narrow streets. Eventually, neighbourhoods on six hilltops were reduced to ashes, including one hill just several blocks from Chile’s parliament building. “It’s a tremendous tragedy. This could be the worst fire in the city’s history,” stated Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet, who declared a state of emergency that would legally allow the country’s armed forces to get involved. Fire fighters were backed by 17 aircraft that performed water bombing exercises on the affected hilltops. Additional police were brought in to prevent looting in the areas abandoned by residents. Chilean forestry officials said that it took more than 20 days to fully extinguish the fires.

Fire engulfed parts of Chile’s Valparaiso in flames in April

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Many of the survivors suffered burns and the most seriously burned patients were transferred to hospitals in the capital, Santiago, about 120 kilometres away.

Fire fighting nozzles

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution

Fire fighting nozzles:

fog versus solid stream

By Colin Deiner, Chief Director, Disaster Management and Fire Brigade Services, Western Cape Government

ne of the oldest arguments in fire fighting is around the best nozzle to use for structural fire attack; solid stream/smooth bore or fog/ combination nozzles. This is not a new argument; it has been going on for more than 150 years. The proponents of the solid stream nozzle argue that they are more effective because they have better reach, are less likely to upset the thermal balance inside the structure and are less likely to cause steam burns to attack teams. They argue that fog/ combination nozzles do not generally provide sufficient reach or penetration and can push the fire through to the rest of the building. In contrast to this you will get the people who prefer the versatility and higher heat absorption of the fog/ combination nozzle. They will further argue that with the advent of the automatic nozzle they get a constant water flow, regardless of the amount of supply pressure, therefore making them more reliable. Their main argument would be that when fire fighters unexpectedly

encounter a flammable liquid fire in a structure or a window suddenly blows out, they would need the protection of a combination nozzle. I will not attempt to settle this argument for-once-and-for-all in this article; it’s been going on for too long. I will, however, offer a few thoughts on what I believe are the best utilisation of both models. I trust this will stimulate further debate. When reading this article, please note that I am referring to the use of fire fighting nozzles during structural fire attack only. I am not considering the wider spectrum of use such as petrochemical or other flammable hazardous materials fires. In these cases, the amount of protection a fire stream has to provide to an attack team would be a prime consideration and there are many people far more qualified to discuss this than me. Nozzle types Fire fighting nozzles are designed to put out fires by getting the right amount of water, in the right form, to the right place. In order to achieve

this, the nozzles must be capable of controlling the flow of the water, get the water to where it’s needed and to create the different water forms required to extinguish the fires. The velocity created at the end of the waterway converts water pressure into velocity that provides the reach required to get the water (wet stuff) onto the fire (red stuff). Not all fires can be extinguished in the same way. Some fires need to be penetrated by a solid stream while other fires can more effectively be extinguished by the heat adsorption properties of a fog stream. There are principally two types of nozzles, solid stream/smooth bore or fog/ combination nozzles. Various producers of fire fighting nozzles will expand this list to other types but essentially it would be variations of the above two. Solid stream/smooth bore nozzle: Smooth bore nozzles are among some of the oldest types of nozzles used in the fire service. Aside from the shutoff valve, it contains no other parts. These nozzles have a tapered design Volume 2 No. 12

Fire fighting nozzles protect themselves and any rescue crews and attack the fire with a high possibility of success. There is a very strong opinion that a solid stream will provide an effective overhead cooling effect and offer effective flashover control. This is supported by the conception that when a fog stream is directed at a ceiling into the thermal layer, it could cause a disruption of the layer and blend the heat and gases causing superheated air and steam throughout the structure.

Fire fighting nozzles are designed to put out fires by getting the right amount of water, in the right form, to the right place and unlike other types of nozzles, smooth bore nozzles provide a solid stream of water that is capable of penetrating through flames to directly attack what material is burning. Fog/combination nozzle: Fog nozzles are capable of producing anything from a wide dispersion pattern to a straight stream of water. Unlike smooth bore nozzles, the introduction of air into the water column decreases penetration and the distance the stream of water can travel. When used in its wide-dispersion setting, it is effective against petrochemical fires because it creates a curtain of water between the fire and the nozzle team. In hydraulic ventilation, the fog pattern pulls air from behind it forward, pushing smoke out of an enclosed space. Some history Fire fighters in the early 1990s did not have to make a choice of which nozzle to use as the solid stream/smooth bore was the only one available. It was in 1950 that someone called Lloyd Layman carried out a series of studies based on United States Coast Guard and Navy tests that proved how the fog pattern had greater heat absorption abilities in sealed compartments with extreme ceiling 28

Volume 2 No. 12

temperatures. A further requirement for this to work was for the fog stream to be indirectly applied to prevent steam injuries to attack crews. In 1951 Keith Royer and Floyd W Nelson from Iowa University introduced the combination nozzle into the fire service. This allowed fire suppression teams to use the fog stream to create a thermal balance and absorb the heat before applying water to the seat of the fire. In the late 1960s Chief CH McMillan of the Gary, Indiana, Fire Task Force, developed the automatic nozzle, also referred to as a pressure regulating or a constant pressure nozzle. The nozzle was developed to solve the problems of using big streams with limited water supplies. The automatic nozzle has led to a number of tactical innovations and provided greater flow deliveries than before. Advantages and disadvantages As mentioned earlier, both nozzles have its advantages and disadvantages. The fog/combination nozzle’s greatest advantage is its versatility. The various settings will allow a hose team to commence an immediate rapid fire attack and enable them to enter the structure, hydro-ventilate, cool the structure,

Recent research has proved that short, one-second bursts of 360 litres per minute fog streams can produce temperature spikes of 150°C (temperatures drop from 600°C to 450°C and then rapidly return to 600°C). With a solid stream the spike is much wider, with the spike being as high as 500°C from a 360 litres per minute stream. This causes the temperature to bounce between 200°C and 700°C. The solid stream will produce the greater cooling effect but in a compartment fire, it poses the threat of excessive amounts of steam and super-heated air down on the nozzle team. To avoid this, greater control of the overhead conditions is required to produce a better cooling gradient. The cooling effect of the fog nozzle is therefore more controlled and gradually brings control over the atmosphere in contrast to the sudden volume of steam caused by a burst of water from a solid stream nozzle. The hydraulic-ventilation potential of the fog stream can be effectively employed in a rapid attack scenario where positive pressure or vertical ventilation activities still have to be commenced. The solid stream nozzle will obviously give you more reach and penetration but is limited in its ability to achieve a thermal balance or hydro-ventilate. By creating a Z-pattern with your solid water stream you should be able to achieve an acceptable level of cooling of the fire compartment. In a larger volume, ventilated structure solid streams will be very effective. The solid stream leaving

Fire fighting nozzles stream. When the stream comes into contact with a hard surface it will break up into smaller droplets that will be absorbed by the heat quicker, making it harder to reach the source of the fire.

Lloyd Layman the nozzle will upon striking a hard surface break up into larger droplets and still provide an effective cooling and penetration on the fire surface. The argument that a fog stream can always be adjusted to form a straight stream is valid and should be seen as distinct advantage of the combination nozzle. This happens when the combination nozzle is adjusted to a narrow pattern. Reach and penetration is improved in this state. Water leaves the nozzle in millions of smaller droplets mixed with air entrained within the

Pressure Proponents of the solid stream nozzle will point to the fact that its main advantage is that it will be effective in a low water pressure environment. The advent of low pressure combination nozzles around the late 1990s has largely addressed this problem and today there are a number of combination nozzles available that can provide close to the same performance as a solid stream nozzle in a low pressure situation. Tests done by many manufacturers and fire services over the years has shown that at equal flows and pressures, the streams from both smooth-bore and low pressure combination nozzles, look alike, have the same reach and reactions and strike with the same impact force. Both nozzles demonstrated an equal amount of turbulence and showed generally the same droplet size. This would indicate that the streams should reach the fire in very much the same shape.

Selecting a nozzle Hopefully we have now got to the point where we do appreciate that there is no â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;one-size-fits-allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; solution. Each fire will have particular characteristics that will dictate the best nozzle to use. How do we make that decision? The first consideration should be the required flow range. This is determined by the available water, pump capacity, hose lays and distance to the fire. By determining what the maximum achievable flow rate under normal circumstances would be, you will be able to factor in the other variables specific to your fire and arrive at the minimum required flow rate required. Then determine what the maximum flow might be that can be managed by the available manpower. A very important consideration would then be the different patterns that may be required. Certain newer fog nozzles produce almost as good a straight stream as a solid bore nozzle but do require a higher inlet pressure. The level of training and experience of your fire crews also plays a vital role in deciding your standard operating procedures (SOPs) for nozzle selection at structural fires. Solid stream nozzles require the least amount of training as the engine pressure depends mainly on the length and size of hose. Combination nozzle use requires more training because different engine pressures will be required for each of the flow settings with different lengths and sizes of hose. The pump operator must be trained to accurately control the engine pressure and flow with different lengths and sizes of hoses and different operating conditions. A clear analysis of your fire risk, level of training, water pressures and supporting equipment will allow you to form a good idea of the needs of each unit within your arsenal and to what level they will be able to utilise the advantages of the two types available.

Combination nozzle use requires more training 30

Volume 2 No. 12

Horses for courses As mentioned earlier we must realise that we have many different tools and no one tool is right for every situation.

Fire fighting nozzles A fog stream is best used in a nonventilated structure whereas a solid stream should be used on fires in ventilated structures. The best chance any trapped fire victims have of survival is if a fire is well vented and the fire gets quickly extinguished. You want to achieve this as rapidly and effectively as possible and must plan your fire attack so that all the correct tools are in the right place to achieve this, whether it is the ventilation, forcible entry, rescue or fire fighting kit. Due to its versatility all crosslays and preconnect hoses should be fitted with fog/combination nozzles. As in forcible entry and ventilation though, you don’t only have one piece of equipment for each of these tasks. Why then should you only have one choice of nozzle? In a fire department I worked in some years ago, we took the decision to acquire a number of smooth bore, hand controlled nozzles that were carried by the attack crew together with the fog/combination nozzles for initial attack. Well trained, experienced fire fighters, together with good communication with their pump operators, allowed a rapid changeover if required and provided the crews with an extra tool in their toolboxes and more attack options.

inexperienced nozzle man will have it set on the wrong pattern or flow setting, or have it changed to the wrong pattern by accident. Experienced fire fighters will know to test the nozzles position before entering a structure lest he/she crack it open and either upset an unstable load close by or cause excessive steam production when it is not expected.

I stress the importance of experienced attack crews. With a solid stream nozzle there is no chance that an

Many fire services preload their water tanks with class-A foam and in this case it is necessary to ensure you

Each fire will have particular characteristics that will dictate the best nozzle to use are using fog/combination nozzles as part of the system. Conclusion In the two years that I have been writing technical articles for this magazine, I have not written about a more controversial topic than this one. International fire services blogs overflow with arguments for and against both solid stream/smooth bore and fog/combination nozzles. I will no doubt also have readers disagree with this dissertation and you are most welcome to do so. My final thoughts on this subject are reflected below (I have already mentioned some of them but here they are again):

Fog/combination nozzles are versatile and provide higher levels of protection.

• There is no single nozzle solution for all fires. • Solid stream nozzles will give you the advantage of performance at lower pressures. • Fog/combination nozzles are versatile and provide higher levels of protection. • Crosslays and preconnect lines should be fitted with fog/ combination nozzles with solid stream nozzles as a second option. • Poorly ventilated interior fires = fog/combination nozzles. Well ventilated structural fire = solid stream/smooth bore nozzles.

Volume 2 No. 12

Advertorial

Using the correct nozzle on the fire Fire fighting is not just opening and shutting a nozzle aimed in the general direction of the fire. A rather thoughtful handling of the nozzle is required by the fire fighter in using the nozzle to balance the power of water through the nozzle. The idea is to achieve fire control in the least possible time, with a minimum amount of water and with a minimum risk. Most fire fighting can be handled successfully with flows of 90 to 360 litres per minute (LPM) and Protek Manufacturing Corporation, together with their distributing agent in South Africa: - Designation Hose, have all the products available to assist the fire fighter with their task in controlling the fire. Designation Hose offers the complete range of Protek nozzles

The approach to handling structural fires comprises of three main categories. • Life safety • Extinguishment • Property conservation

In reality, fire fighting is not quite that simple and as Bill Nelson recognises when he adds: “However, the number of different situations one finds in structures often makes this task difficult.”

Obviously, there is a lot more to fire fighting than to ‘put the wet stuff on the red stuff’ and your fire is out. While the true purpose of the fire attack is to extinguish the fire, there are a lot of factors to consider such as water damage, control the spread of fire and to prevent the scatter of burning materials.

ill Nelson in his book, Qualitative Fire Behaviour, makes the following statement: “In principle, fire fighting is very simple. All one needs to do is to put the right amount of water in the right place and the fire is controlled.”

Protek multi-purpose nozzles 32

Volume 2 No. 12

Protek selectable gallonage nozzles

Since 1991, Protek Fire Fighting Inc has adhered itself to three principles: creating value for its customers, providing exceptional service, and delivering unparalleled quality. Since its inception, Protek has dramatically evolved the products offered and catered to the needs of its customers, from hand line nozzles to remote controlled monitors. Protek Fire Fighting Inc is ISO 9001 registered by the world recognised Underwriters Laboratories Inc (UL) in the United States. As time progresses, Protek are constantly ensuring that it evolves with the industry while maintaining the three principles. Continually meeting and exceeding the expectations of its customers, Protek strives to continue its position as an industry leader and to provide exceptional service. Designation Hose offers the complete range of Protek nozzles as well as monitors, foam equipment and valves from Protek Manufacturing Corporation. These include selectable gallonage, multi-purpose, automatic fixed pressure, constant gallonage, high pressure, specialty marine, wildfire/forestry as well as foam nozzles and tubes.

Fire service

Matjhabeng Fire Service expanding

The Matjhabeng Fire Service covers an area spanning 4 984 square kilometres

stablished in 1968, Welkom Fire Station is now the headquarters of four fire stations within the newly demarcated Matjhabeng Local Municipality in the Free State, South Africa.

towns namely Welkom, Virginia, Odendaalsrus, Hennenman Ventersburg and Allanridge, says acting chief fire officer (CFO) for the Matjhabeng Local Municipality, James Mkhwanazi.

The operational area of the Matjhabeng Fire Service covers six

The fire service covers an area spanning 4 984 square kilometres in the goldfields of the northern Free State, north of Bloemfontein. Chief Mkhwanazi says that the six towns and its townships, which include a vast farming area, are covered by the municipality’s four fire stations located in in Odendaalsrus, Welkom, Virginia and Hennenman. “We also have a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with neighbouring towns that do not have a fire station or any fire fighting vehicles. These towns are not situated within Matjhabeng Local Municipality but within our district municipality; Lejweleputswa District Municipality,” explains Mkhwanazi.

Acting chief fire officer James Mkhwanazi 36

Volume 2 No. 12

The Matjhabeng council has approved the build of six new satellite fire stations, the first

of which is set to be built in Ventersburg, where construction is underway. Chief Mkhwanazi says that the new satellite fire station is set to be completed in December this year, saying that construction is in its final stages. Matjhabeng assistant fire chief, Francois Klaassen, says that the six new satellite fire stations are planned for the rural and remote towns in the region including Meloding, Phomolomg, Kutlwanong, Allanridge, Thabong and Ventersburg. Welkom is markedly different from other cities, also known as ‘City within a Garden’ and the ‘Circle City’. There are no traffic lights in Welkom, says assistant fire Chief Klaassen. He says this has contributed to the infrequent number of vehicle collisions and accidents that occur in the region. Chief Mkhwanazi says fire training is one of the key functions of the Welkom Fire Station, which also has fire safety, rescue extrications and disaster management divisions.

Fire Trucks Proud suPPlier To MaTjabeng Fire service

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Fire service people in the local community,” explains Chief Mkhwanazi.

operational in Welkom, 10 of which are still operations.

He adds that the interlinked informal housing in the rural areas of the municipality adds strain on the fire service. “This has affected the fire services as ‘shacks’ are attached to each other and when a shack catches fire, the rest of the shacks will be on fire. Hence, we had a shortage of personnel to educate the community in this regard.”

Fire incidents While wildfires, rescue operations and responding to residential fires make up the majority of fire incidents experienced by the fire service in Matjhabeng, Chief Mkhwanazi highlights one industrial fire as being the most significant fire in the region.He says that the fire service responded to a large fire at the retail facility of a large tile and sanitary ware retailer. “We had a fire at CTM, where the whole building was on fire, which was accelerated by chemicals that caused the fire to rapidly engulfing the building,” says Chief Mkhwanazi.

Risk profile Matjhabeng’s highest risk within its jurisdiction is its informal settlement, states Chief Mkhwanazi.

Another risk factor in the municipality, known for its gold mining industry, is illegal miners,states Chief Mkhwanazi. A string of mining towns are located in the western part of the municipality and further to the east are the agricultural towns of Hennenman and Ventersburg. Chief Mkhwanazi says that illegal miners trespass and loot many of the resources in the region including theft of electrical cables, water pipes, telephone cables and so forth.

He says that the abundances of livestock in the region, known for its expansive farming community, create unique risks in the region.“The livestock that move around town end up causing accidents that often claims the lives of many

Assistant fire Chief Klaassen says the gold mining industry has been and still is the lifeblood of the local economy, despite many mines shutting down operations in recent times. He says that there were previously 20 mines that were

Assistant fire chief, Francois Klaassen

He also recalls another incident in power utility, Eskom’s transformer line, which caught fire after illegal miners ‘spiked’ transformers in order to try and steel copper cable. Organisational structure Matjhabeng’s fire chief Mkhwanazi and assistant fire chief Klaassen make up the top operational hierarchy in the Matjhabeng Fire Service, which also has four divisional officers positioned at the municipality’s four fire stations. The divisional officers lead a complement of 14 station officers at the respective fire stations of the Matjhabeng Fire Service. Lungile Khuze is the divisional officer for fire safety for Welkom Fire Station, while Petrus Khukutli and Petrus Moseme serve as operational divisional officers for the area. Jan Pottas serves as the disaster management coordinator for Matjhabeng Fire Services. There are 72 fire fighters employed by the fire service that also has four control attendants, a clerical assistant, two typist clerks and eight general workers.

Francois Klaassen, assistant CFO; James Mkhwanazi, acting CFO; Lungile Khuze, divisional officer fire safety and Petrus Khukutli, divisional officer operational 38

Volume 2 No. 12

In terms of fire fighters, Chief Mkhwanazi says that the fire service employs fire fighters that are already qualified. He says that the four respective fire stations each have one station

Fire service

Johan Erasmus, station officer Welkom; Francois Klaassen, assistant CFO; James Mkhwanazi, acting CFO; Lungile Khuze, divisional officer fire safety; Petrus Khukutli, divisional officer operational; Paulus Bengell, station officer Welkom; Prescilla Moseme, station officer Odendaalsrus and Mickey Khuze, station officer, training

Zelle Mogoera, tTraining official; Mickey Khuze, station officer training; Johan Erasmus, station officer training with 20 students doing FF1, FF2, hazmat awareness and hazmat operational and Lungile Khuze, divisional officer training and Dups Molupe, training official

Thabiso Nkhobo, fire fighter; Puleng Madona, fire fighter; Johan Erasmus, station officer Welkom with Jackie Matiso, fire fighter

Aerial view of the practical training facility

Fire fighter Martin Mhlambe doing control room duty at Welkom Fire Station

The fire safety team Francois Klaassen, assistant CFO; Lungile Khuze, divisional officer; Johannes Matlokotsi, station officer and Alina Mbiko, fire fighter Volume 2 No. 12

Fire service The fire service has a strong female fire fighter complement that make up 50 percent of all fire fighters employed by the municipality. Resources Matjhabeng Fire Service has six fire engines in the region and an additional two new fire engines were recently acquired from Fire Fighting Equipment Africa (FFEA). The two new Iveco Eurocargo fire engines, worth R4million and delivered on 22 April 2014 by FFEA, are the first of six new fire engines that the Matjhabeng Local Municipality has approved for purchase over the next year.

One of the New Iveco Eurotrekker’s alongside the 1993 RD Gladiator (Cummins) that has a capacity of 3 800 litres of water

officer with four fire fighters per shift, as well as one rescue officer with a three-member fire fighter complement.

Matjhabeng Fire Service hazmat team is made up of a five-member crew who are responsible for all hazmat operations in the municipality.

The arrival of the new fire engines has been long overdue, as all the fire engines stationed at the municipality’s four fire stations are 20 years and older. Other vehicle’s in the fire service fleet include one rescue 4X4 vehicle, three sedan vehicles that are used as utility vehicles, two 4X4’s with skid units, one disaster command vehicle and a hydraulic platform.

A fire station in the making. The first of six satellite fire stations to be build within Matjhabeng area. This station is in a final construction phase and is situated in Mmhahabane (the township of Ventersburg). This new fire station will be a great assistance for vehicle accidents and vehicle fires on the N1. 40

Volume 2 No. 12

Fire service

The Dennis pumper is a 1956 model and is still in a working condition. This pumper has a two stage centrifugal pump, a V8 Rolls Royce engine with an automatic gearbox. The pumper is the municipality’s pride and joy and still serves it people via funerals, school events etc. The pump is still in a working condition, although the tank has leaks.

Chief Mkhwanazi says, “The fire department is doing well with the development of the industry.” He mentions that the fire service stays abreast with the changes and advances in the fire industry, periodically drawing on the emergency services and the National Fire Protections Association (NFPA) standards of the US. Training Matjhabeng Fire Service has a fullyfledged training facility offering training to individuals and organisations from across the country. The fire service has five competent fire instructors in its fire training programme, says Chief Mkhwanazi. He says the fire service provides three full courses each year and also offers basic fire fighting and advanced fire fighting on request. “We are fully accredited with the South Africa Emergency Services Institute (SAESI) and we present fire fighter one and two, hazmat awareness and operational, as

well as fire officer and fire service instructor programmes.”

informing the fire department about fires in the area.

Chief Mkhwanazi says that there are no fire instructor courses outsourced by the municipality, which conducts all its training courses in house.

Challenges Chief Mkhwanazi says that a shortage of personnel to perform fire safety inspections in buildings is one of the challenges that the fire service faces.

Safety awareness Matjhabeng Fire Service has two safety awareness projects that are conducted annually. iPoloke Project is one of these fire safety programmes conducted by the fire safety division of the fire service where communities are educated and warned against the danger of open fires. The second project is the Paraffin Safety Awareness project, which is meant for communities that reside in informal housing where electricity is not available. Chief Mkhwanazi says that local communities are educated on extinguishing fires with caution and are advised to be proactive in

Other challenges include inadequate road infrastructure in the informal settlements that make responding to fires in these communities a difficult task. Chief Mkhwanazi also counts the municipality’s ageing fleet and the shortage of staff as the key challenges that the fire service has encountered in recent times. In order to supplement the fire services in the region, the Matjhabeng Fire Service maintains a close working relationship with Welkom’s local fire protection association (FPA). The fire service also works closely with the district disaster management centre (DMC) and the provincial DMC. Volume 2 No. 12

Fire services - CFO profile

Ascending to fire chief from the township

fter 21 years in the fire services industry, Matjhabeng Fire Services acting chief fire officer, James Mkhwanazi, says that he was exposed to fire fighting as an impressionable kid in the townships of Free State Province, South Africa.

Matjhabeng acting fire chief, James Mkhwanazi

Chief Mkhwanazi says that he developed a love for fire fighting early on making it a natural progression into the fire service.

He says, “The way fires were extinguished in our townships always made me feel that if I can be a fire

fighter one day and assist my community and the community in turn realising that I am assisting them – this would make me very happy.” Chief Mkhwanazi, who is a first generation fire fighter, completed a national diploma in fire technology. He says that he was mentored by his former fire chief, who advised him to be proactive as a fire fighter and take initiative when there is a task at hand, before being instructed to do so. Today, the acting fire chief of the Matjhabeng Local Municipality has developed his own management acumen and value system, saying that he believes in transparency in the workplace. “If something is right or wrong it must be said to management. A management meeting must be a participatory meeting for everybody present. People must feel comfortable to say whatever they want to say so as to building a strong management team,” states Chief Mkhwanazi. The fire chief values the opinion of his colleagues and says that this has been a factor in his progress within the municipal fire service over the years. He says that he takes great gratification at being honoured for his efforts and the work of his colleagues from his superiors. Chief Mkhwanazi has had a fair amount of success in his short tenure as acting fire chief, a post to which he was appointed in 2012, receiving the confidence from the municipal management in Matjhabeng, which approved key operational requests from the acting fire chief. The Matjhabeng Fire Service recently took delivery of two new fire engines at the Welkom Fire Station, which had an existing fleet that is 20 years or older. Mentorship Chief Mkhwanazi encourages all fire personnel to remain studious and knowledgeable of the fire industry, so as to not be upended by a junior. He says that respecting people is important as in an eagerness to develop your knowledge base. Chief Mkhwanazi has a few words to fellow chiefs, “Communication helps a lot between chief fire officers with regards to new legislation and other matters affecting fire and rescue services,” he concludes.

Volume 2 No. 12

Fire safety

Conducting a risk assessment can be as simple as asking fire fighters where they most frequently respond

Fire prevention strategies:

The importance of reliable data

By Rodney Eksteen, Assistant Director: Fire Brigade Services, Disaster Management and Fire Brigade Services, Western Cape Government

ire services do not have all the resources to individually solve the many different fire problems in the communities that they serve. A fire service can be more effective by targeting one or two major problems and then dedicating the available resources to those specific problems. By thoroughly analysing the local fire and injury problems, interventions and target areas can be prioritised to ensure that the limited available resources are used for the most urgent problems. This approach also increases the probability of success by addressing fewer problems rather than many. In addition, having a good understanding of the relevant causal data and target audiences help to guide the development of intervention programmes. An all too common approach is to develop or implement a fire prevention programme that we think will work and that is not ‘evidence based’. How often do we practice the ‘shotgun approach’ of public fire prevention education? By going out into a community and using a blanket approach to ‘educate’

the population on fire safe practices, without knowing what the circumstances are surrounding the problem in that particular community. This approach is often ineffective and wastes valuable time that could have been used to identify the ‘real’ problems. Identifying the local fire problems Identifying the most prevalent fire risks before developing and implementing fire prevention programmes intended to mitigate that risk should be a continuous part of fire prevention planning. Conducting a risk assessment can be as simple as asking fire fighters where they most frequently respond. What they frequently responded to in the past is often what they are likely to respond to in the future. Therefore, we should be implementing interventions proactively to prevent that. Done at the station level, these kinds of risk assessments can be incredibly valuable to identify high risk areas, times, population groups and behaviours. Prevention strategies can then be implemented to mitigate that particularly fire risk far more effectively.

There are many ways to obtain the information necessary to identify the most common fire problems. The National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMMS) for example, is a very useful national resource for identification of fire related deaths. Similarly, the Fire Protection Association of Southern Africa has useful national data on the various types of common causes of fire. Local data obtained directly from the community can also be very successful in pinpointing local fire problems. Targeting public fire education programmes in this way is highly recommended as the identification of specific fire problems is the first step toward an effective solution. The quality of information available can vary; however, the following categories of information should be obtained from various sources in order to improve ‘situational awareness’ on the fire problem: Identify the fire hazards Records from incident reports, local hospitals and ambulance services, the mortuary covering Volume 2 No. 12

Fire safety the area and insurance data will all help the fire safety educator to determine the local fire hazards. This information is important because it can identify the specific local patterns and trends of fires that should be addressed by the public education programme. Case studies from abroad have shown that the identification phase of a fire education project is essential in order to establish the most common causes of fire and then develop and implement appropriate interventions accordingly. For example, one study revealed hazards such as bad wiring and overloaded circuits in a community. Those responsible for the fire prevention programme focused their community education and risk reduction efforts on electrical problems, resulting in a reduction of fire losses by 50 percent. In another community where young fire setters were among the main causes of fire, the local fire department set up a successful counselling programme with community psychologists that significantly reduced the instances of related fires. When the most important local fire hazards are identified, a programme can be directed toward these specific problems with a higher probability of achieving measurable success.

Identify high risk locations In identifying high risk locations, it is helpful to remember that these locations can be neighbourhoods or building occupancy types with high fire rates (the number of fire per capita) or high fire incidence (the absolute number of fires). National data clearly show that the occurrence of fire fatalities are located in residential properties such as private dwellings. Certain neighbourhoods can be ‘high risk’ in terms of fire dangers. This is especially true in urban areas where deterioration has occurred over time. These neighbourhoods or communities can be identified by plotting the fire incidents on a map. Tools such as ESRI’s ArkGIS are often used by many municipalities’ geographic information systems’ (GIS) specialists to track this kind of data. In addition to fire problems identified in high risk locations, associated social issues must also be considered, such as extreme poverty. Flexibility, cooperation and partnerships with other departments and organisations will help fire safety educators achieve their mission. Identify high risk times Fire dangers increase at certain times of the day, week and year

Identifying high risk locations using maps and software applications such as GIS help to prioritise prevention interventions 44

Volume 2 No. 12

and can also be ‘seasonal’. Local fire safety educators should identify these high risk times, then coordinate interventions that will alert people to high risk times of fire danger. When it comes to wildfire, the Fire Danger Index (FDI) is often used to inform communities and the public of the increased risk during ‘red’ days. The traffic department is a good example of using knowledge about high risk times. When schools are located near high risk spots for pedestrian accidents, traffic vehicles are dispatched to these intersections where children that have to walk home from school in the afternoon. A traffic officer guides school children across the road reducing the likelihood of a traffic related injury to young children. Similarly, during dry spells, certain fire departments dispatch an apparatus to strategic places when school is dismissed in the afternoon. This action has been known to cut down on bush fire incidents that are often started by children on their way home from school. Identify high risk populations Fire is more hazardous to some people than to others. The very young, the very old, and males, for example, suffer more fire fatalities proportionately than any other age group nationally (NIMSS, 2011). However, it is important to identify the high risk victims locally as it can differ widely from community to community. Once these groups have been identified, it will be important to find out why they are a high risk group. Involving the community and reviewing fire reports and speaking with fire safety inspectors could reveal important information in describing the characteristics of these victims. In addition to the obvious high risk victims, those people who live close or with these potential victims also need fire safety education. In any given community, they must be identified before the fire safety education and prevention interventions can begin. When population groups at greatest risk have been identified, interventions

Fire safety targeting them can be designed. These potential victims should also be involved in the development and implementation of the intervention effort. Identify high risk behaviour A person’s actions or omissions, either before or after ignition, are often one of the most important factors in a fire incident. Discovering these behavioural patterns is often difficult, but this information can prove to be incredibly valuable to the fire safety educator, especially when developing messages to change the high risk behaviour. After obtaining this information, the fire safety educator must then decide where to intervene in the chain of events that lead to the fire incident. Many fire safety educators realise that fires are not caused by flammable liquids or smoking materials but by the way people use these products. For this reason, fire education programmes cannot afford to overlook the relationship between human behaviour and the fire and burn hazards. Developing specific behavioural change prevention messages require a good understanding of the circumstances around local fire deaths and injuries. Using an analysis process to prioritise the fire problems Once the data has been collected it must be analysed. Problem and target audience analysis is critical and should include establishing an accurate data base on fire and injury issues. It is important that decisions are based on the ‘big picture’, as well as the urgency of each problem. Analysis uses statistics and data about fires and injuries to determine the priorities of problems. It is a planned process with a desired result that leads to the prioritisation of local problems and provides an objective view of the fire and injury problem. However, the process does not make the decision about prevention interventions. This is the role of the educator and organisational management. Ultimately, for any intervention to be successful long term, the target community should be involved in the decision making as well.

ArcGIS provides a system for fire services and EMS that supports all elements of the service including administration, planning, prevention, preparedness and response. There are various tools that can be used for this analysis. ESRI’s ArkGIS, which is commonly used by government, has powerful analysis tools that can be used to analyse and compare fire data. The information gathered during analysis will probably reveal several serious fire problems. The task now is to choose the problem that, if solved, would have the greatest impact on the local fire situation. The fire safety educator may wish to determine which problem is the most serious in terms of (1) fire incidence, (2) fire deaths, (3) fire injuries and (4) fire loss. However, there are several other important considerations to contemplate when making this decision: • I mpact of the problem on the community in terms of life, injury, property loss, economic impact, etc. This can be in

terms of people injured, cost of the fires, etc. • Frequency of the problem or how often it occurs. • Likelihood of the problem getting worse without educational intervention. • Existing community programmes that are successfully addressing the problems. • The trend of the problem. In other words, is there indication the problem is getting worse over time. • The mission and the goals of the organisation. There may be some fire or life safety problems that are clearly outside the scope of the organisation. The fire safety educator and other decision makers, must review these considerations and establish the fire priorities based upon their judgement. This, at times, is difficult.

The planning and identification of prevention priorities is very similar to the planning phase used during incident command Volume 2 No. 12

Fire protection association

North West Umbrella FPA successfully launched

he recently established North West Umbrella Fire Protection Association (NWUFPA) was launched in in Potchefstroom in June 2012 and was officially opened by the Potchefstroom Mayor, Counsellor Andrew Mmaphetle. The UFPA was formed in reaction to ‘hectic fires’ that struck the North West Province, South Africa, reports NWUFPA manager, Dr Kobus Roux. The fires were especially destructive in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, which prompted the Potchefstroom Fire Protection Association (FPA) to spearhead the formation of the NWUFPA and provide a variety of services for FPAs that fall within the province.

A runaway fire at the Vredefort Dome between Potchefstroom and Parys in the North West Province

The problems should be considered as a high, moderate, or low priority. High priority problems should be addressed immediately in some manner. Moderate priority problems are not generally an urgent issue. Low priority problems should only be addressed when there are no high or moderate priorities. Create the big picture Once you have identified the top few fire priorities to tackle, the next step is to create a ‘scenario’ or chain of events of how the incident happens. This scenario can be developed from the information gathered during the Identification activities, from a detailed study of local fire data or from an indepth investigation (including human behaviour), selected fire incidents and the community or target population. The scenario will help you to understand the target audiences and determine 46

Volume 2 No. 12

Dr Roux, who is the chairman of the Potchefstroom FPA, says that as part of the launch ceremony of the UFPA an aerial fire fighting demonstration

strategies for reaching them. For example, hypothetical scenarios could include:

with the development or selection of appropriate evidence based prevention interventions.

“Children aged 10 and below (high risk victims) setting fires (high risk behaviour) alongside the road verge, especially along mountain road (high risk location), after school hours (high risk time).”

Conclusion The fire risk assessment process depends on the availability of resources and reliable data. However, it still boils down to working out where to focus the limited resources that fire services have to get the ‘biggest bang for their buck’. It’s clear that we can be far more sophisticated in our efforts to understand who our target audiences for fire safety really are and how to reach them. It takes more resources, to be sure, but if we’re going to be successful with our fire prevention strategies, we might consider spending more of our time and money up front where it will do more good. Unless we’re doing a good job of assessing our real risks, we might just be headed full speed in the wrong direction.

“Adult females (high risk victims) leaving the kitchen unattended during meal preparation (high risk behaviour and high risk location), especially during the preparation on dinner in the afternoon (high risk time).” “Adult males (high risk victims) smoking in bed while under the influence of alcohol (high risk behaviour and location)”. Once the likely scenarios have been determined for the given population and problem, you can proceed

Fire protection association premises of the Potchefstroom FPA, which partially funds the UFPA, mentions Dr Roux.

took place at Boskop Nature Reserve with expanded public works programme, Working on Fire (WoF) and integrated fire management services supplier, FFA Group.

He says that the NWUFPA would have come to a staggering halt financially, if not for the FFA Group (now Kishugu) and the WoF programme, which provides operational and financial support to the association.

At the launch ceremony, Potchefstroom FPA strategic planner, Eric Stoch, was elected as the first chairman of the UFPA at its first annual general meeting (AGM) in Potchefstroom on 3 August 2012. Since speaking with Fire and Rescue International, a new executive for the next two years was voted in on 23 April 2014. The newly appointed UFPA chairman for the region is Kobus Barkhuizen, who replaces Dr Roux, while the vice chairman role is now taken up by Danie de Villiers. Dr Roux continues to serves as the chairman of the Potchefstroom FPA. Fire chief of the city of Matlosana in the North West, Tommy Deysel, was appointed as the vice chairman and Dr Roux was formally appointed as the FPA manager at the AGM. District UFPAs During 2013 it was decided that the four districts in the province, namely Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Ngaka Modiri Molema , Dr Ruth Sogomotse Mopati and Bojanala Platinum District, also be recognised as district umbrella fire protection associations (UFPAs), reports Dr Roux. The regional office of the NWUFPA in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality is located in Potchefstroom, where Dr Roux is assisted with administration duties of the organisation by the

Dr Kobus Roux UFPA administration clerk, Madie Langevelt and the NWUFPA accountant, Louise Erasmus. Dr Roux says that two new FPA managers have been appointed on 23 April to assist with operational duties at the association and they are Leon Bellingan and Rudi du Toit. The fire protection officer (FPO), Samuel Thlapi, also serves as the fire chief of the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC). “The districted UFPAs had been established during the course of the year, with its own executive that became the executive committee of the NWUFPA,” reports Dr Roux. He says that 20 registered FPAs form part of the NWUFPA and these FPAs are spread across the 104 882 square kilometre area that makes up the North West Province. The headquarters of the NWUFPA is situated in Potchefstroom at the

Working on Fire crews at the launch of the North West UFPA in 2012

Fire history Dr Roux says that a total of 711 fires were reported in the province in 2013, with about 60 percent occurring in the towns of Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp. In 2011, a total of 100 000 hectares was lost in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district alone, marking one of the more devastating years in recent history, especially in the eastern region of the province. The fires can be attributed to the topography of the area, which has the Magaliesberg Mountains and the Vredefort Dome, which is a meteor crater of about 300 kilometres and a World Heritage Site. Another contributing factor is the high population density in the area. Dr Roux says, “In the past three years the number of hectares that burned down in the province came to a total of about 100 000 hectares a year.” The Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality is the area that is most fire prone, especially the Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp area. Dr Roux says that the NWUFPA works closely with FPAs to form a unified fire protection front in the province.

Fire fighting equipment donated by the Dr Kenneth Kaunda Municipality to North West FPAs Volume 2 No. 12

NAMPO 2014

NAMPO 2014: Africa’s networking platform for agriculture The new technology and farming methods was presented by more than 650 exhibitors and good business resulted from this. FRI visited the show to see what was new for the upcoming wildfire season. Food security and the sourcing of investors in the agriculture of their countries were a central theme of Grain SA’s discussions with delegations from Sudan, Eritrea, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, the Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia.

he almost 70 000 visitors enabled agricultural exhibitors to do good business during Grain South Africa’s NAMPO Harvest Day, which was held in May in Bothaville, Free State Province, South Africa. Positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors confirmed that the Harvest Day is a sought-after place for doing business, conveying information and building networks.

“The somewhat lower attendance figures, which still compare well with those of the previous two years, were satisfactory if one takes into account the challenging times agriculture has experienced recently,” said Cobus van Coller, NAMPO Harvest Day chairperson. The expansion of the grounds and parking area ensured a more even distribution of visitors and the good condition and neatness of the facilities and the grounds elicited positive comments.

“The relationship between the FPAs is excellent. We work very hard to bring everybody with experience on board throughout the province. Since the establishment of the NWUFPA there have not yet been major fires that could not be handled by the local FPAs,” he explains.

Fire origin The main fire occurrences are the result of human negligence and this includes landowners who do not comply with the National Veld and Forest Fire Act. In addition, lightning strikes make up the primary natural causes of fires occurring in the region. In order to mitigate the prevalence of fires in the province, originating from negligence, Dr Roux says that the UFPA has undertaken a fire awareness campaign and adopted strategic firebreak programmes.

A farmer used his tractor to extinguish a fire but the blaze later overtook the tractor 48

Volume 2 No. 12

He adds, “The WoF programme has also been incorporated with huge success all over the province. We started to adopt the approach of ‘maximum initial attack’ whenever there is a fire. The aerial resources of FFA Group also contribute to a huge extent in containing fires and keeping losses to a minimum.”

293 light aeroplanes and 41 helicopters used the air strip over the four days and new technology enabled everyone on the grounds to download the terrain plan on their cell phones. Grain SA, owners and organisers of the NAMPO Harvest Day, have already commenced with preparations for next year’s show and further positive changes are envisaged. The dates for next year’s NAMPO Harvest Day have been set as 12 to 15 May.

Fire statistics The NWUFPA fire prevention programmes and the FPA structures have had a notable impact on fire statistics and fire incidents in the provinces, reports Dr Roux. He says that owing to the fire awareness programmes and the integrated fire management processes implemented in the province, the number of wildfires that occur in the province has significantly reduced over the past three years. “The percentage of wildfires came staggering down,” says Dr Roux. “The Potchefstroom statistics, alone, came down from 919 fires in 2011, to 163 in 2013.” Dr Roux says that the main challenge in the region and for the UFPA is to have all state departments on board in order to contribute meaningfully to the NWUFPA.

NAMPO 2014

Mercedes Benzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Andre van Zyl and Ferdi de Beer with the Unimog U5000 double cab

The Andreas Stihl team: Duncan Fryer; David Bithrey; Kevin Richards, Glen Bellars and Anil Hoolasi

The Kishugu Group team: including Dala Muller; Chris de Bruno Austin (co CEO); Ernst Bruwer and Ginge Hudson

The SafeQuip team: Frikkie StrĂśh; Malcolm Corns; Gary Dryden (Australia); Melinda Zeelie and Luke Fradal (KZN)

The MAN Truck and Bus team: Mark Barnett; Marnus Prinsloo; Bronwyn Stephenson and Pieter Viljoen with the MAN TGS26.440 truck-tractor

The Mc Beans Implement Co team: Leon Kloppers; Nick Kelbrick; Corniel Janse van Rensburg and Marius Hartman with the NOR4687 seven-litre, twin-stage Normac skid unit fitted with a Honda engine and two 60-metre rubber delivery hoses Volume 2 No. 12

NAMPO 2014

Volvo Truck’s Pieter le Roux, head office; Willem Landman, Bloemfontein and Jan Harm-Ras, Jet Park with the Volvo FMX 8x4 rigid with a sleeper cab

The Husqvarna South Africa team: Darryl Elliott; Brian Brink; Greg Steyn; Roger Jackson; Gerry de Bruin and Shaun Jones

Scania South Africa’s Alexander Taftman; Ivan Stefanovic and Steve Wager, managing director

Samantha Bowyer and Candice Wright with the Iveco Daily 4x4

Russell Clark and Alwyn Coetsee of Turner Morris Midmacor

Kevin Scott of Tata Trucks, Bloemfontein

Volume 2 No. 12

Wildfire investigation Part 5

How to go about becoming a veldfire investigator By Rob Erasmus, Enviro Wildfire Services

he wildfire industry is a broad industry indeed, covering aspects of suppression, prevention, extension, education and awareness, consulting, provision of equipment, training and investigations that can address origin and cause and at times the spread and possible negligence of landowners. With the role of a forensic fire investigation at times envied by others as a result of the television and movie industry (CSI etc), as well as the associated mystique and challenges, one would expect there to be more qualified and competent investigators active in South Africa. This is not the case as many fall by the wayside after completing their theoretical training. Becoming a fire investigator does not happen overnight and the process can basically be divided into three phases. Phase one would be obtaining an understanding of fire behaviour. This assists in understanding how the fire would behave based on fuel, topography and weather. While some investigators may not have this experience, it is definitely an advantage when documenting the spread and behaviour of the fire. Note that the starting point(s) of the fire is determined using a scientific method of identifying and following burn indicators back to the general origin, and not on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;gut feel as many people tend to do. The former technique is crucial for the proper documentation and report writing process and possibly for the presentation of evidence should the case go to court. Fire behaviour assists in locating and identifying burn indicators and patterns. Obtaining an understanding of fire behaviour can be done in a number of ways, including active fire fighting, observing fires during runaway or prescribed burning events and computer modeling. To get a really good grasp on this subject takes time as no two fires are the same. The behaviour

Working on Fire crew leaders being introduced to determining the origin and cause of a wildfire

will vary according to the weather conditions (wind speed, humidity and temperature), topography and terrain and the type of fuel (grass, bushveld, fynbos) and its age and structure. Phase two is the attending of the one week origin and cause determination theory course, presented by organisations such as the Kishugu Group (FFA Group) that are usually run near the end of each year in Nelspruit, with additional courses presented elsewhere upon request. These courses cover all the theoretical aspects of undertaking an origin and cause investigation, as well as practical opportunities to test your skills.

a number of investigation reports to demonstrate they have a thorough understanding of undertaking an investigation as well as having the ability and capacity. The vast majority of those attending such courses are in full-time employ and fire investigation is not their primary function. Thus, being able to drop what they are doing to go and investigate a wildfire, for training purposes, generally does not happen. The result is that the required investigations are never undertaken, the theory aspects are

Phase three is where most potential fire investigators fall short or lose interest, namely returning to their home bases to undertake a number of investigations on their own for submission to the course directors for evaluation. I shall dwell shortly on this shortcoming as I believe it is an important aspect. The course candidates are required to complete a workbook and submit

An example of some of the contents of a basic veldfire investigation kit Volume 2 No. 12

Training

Fire training school taps into plethora of opportunities The fire academy has provided training to a host of municipalities in the Free State and across the country, such as the West Rand District Municipality and Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng, the Vhembe District Municipality in Limpopo Province, Govan Mbeki Local Municipality in Mpumalanga Province and the Dihlabeng Local Municipality in the Free State.

A group of fire training undergraduates enrolled at GEFSTA

stablished in May 2006, Goldfields Emergency Fire Services Training Academy (GEFSTA) began with just 15 students in the Free State, South Africa, in its first year and has grown to a national training concern, says GEFSTA founder, Petrus Moseme.

Currently, Moseme leads a team consisting of two managing directors and 14 training personnel, who collectively possess experience and qualifications accumulated over many years in the emergency training, operations, preparedness and safety fields, states Moseme.

Currently, GEFSTA focus is on capitalising on the opportunities in the mining industry, as far as the provision of fire services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our organisation is intending to be a well recognised training institute nationally and in our neighbouring countries. We are already recognised as a fire training

forgotten and another potential fire investigator is lost to the industry.

the form of investigation opportunities and guidance. The fire itself does not need to be big or important. The aim is to undertake an investigation using the correct procedures and drafting an accurate report. There would be no charge to providing this assistance.

of white cord for the specific origin, magnifying glass, magnet, large paint brush, small paint brush, latex gloves, forceps, soapy-water and clean-water spray bottles, sample bottles and bags for evidence and evidence photo markers. Advanced kits could include metal detectors and drones for aerial photography.

It is here that we at Enviro Wildfire Services would like to step in and invite those who have completed their theoretical training over the past two years, to contact us should they wish to be put onto our contact list. The concept is to assist such persons with their required practical aspects in

A photo reference marker when documenting evidence 52

The organisation has also provided training for a range of corporate and governmental departments, such as the Department of Public Works, First National Bank and mining company, Anglo America. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe that our best references are those provided by the companies and organisations for which we have provided services and training,â&#x20AC;? says Moseme.

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While some organisations include a basic investigation field kit as part of the course fees, candidates may need to purchase their own, or add to the one provided. A basic field kit should consist of a lockable dust/water proof tool box, global positioning system (GPS), suitable digital camera capable of taking high resolution photographs, notebook and pen, roll of barrier/ hazard tape, 5m tape measure, 30m steel roller tape measure, red (20)/ yellow (15)/blue (10) marker flags, 20m

We hope that the readers have found this five-part series on wildfire investigations to have been both interesting and informative and invite you to contact us should you wish for more information about training or the undertaking of investigations in your area. Likewise we are able to provide presentations to staff and fire protection association (FPA) members. Rob Erasmus may be contacted on email: enviro@absamail.co.za.

Training academy in Lesotho, Botswana and Namibia,” says Moseme.

GEFSTA’s LPGAS simulator

Accreditation GEFSTA is accredited with the Department of Labour (DoL), the South African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI) and the International Fire Services Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). This denotes that all courses offered by GEFSTA are accredited and recognised nationally, states Moseme. He adds, “We are in the process of gaining accreditation with the Health and Wellness Sector Education and Training Authority (HW SETA) and Local Government (LG SETA), as well as Manufacturing Engineering and Related Services SETA (MERSETA).” GEFSTA is also a member of the Disaster Management Institute of South Africa (DMISA) and is a corporate member of the Fire Protection Association of South Africa (FPASA). Moseme mentions that GEFSTA is also a member in good standing for Services Sector Employer Association (SSEA) membership. GEFSTA offers a wide range of courses from fire fighter one and two to advanced fire fighting, as well as basic first aid courses. Other courses include hazmat awareness and hazmat operational courses, basic petrochemical fire fighting, fire instructor, fire suppression, as well as self-contained breathing apparatus and confined space entry training courses. Recruitment GEFSTA assists its graduates with placements from the various organisations in the emergency services industry. “Different organisations request us to provide them with a list of our students in terms of employment, so this is an incentive for our students,” says Moseme.

best results from students. Moseme says that ‘rotating and balancing physically active and passive learning activities’ is another diligent approach to training that is being developed by GEFSTA. He adds, “Sharing the percentage of teaching between facilitators and learners, which is at 30 percent and 70 percent, respectively, is another novel approach that GEFSTA has undertaken in its training programmes.” Facilities GEFSTA has invested in cutting-edge training equipment and infrastructure that includes a large power grid analysis and simulation (LPGAS) facility, as well as a range of fire pans, a hot room, smoke room and a tunnel. “To provide a constantly challenging and innovative knowledge environment, a variety of tools are utilised in seminar delivery to promote retention and better learning,” says Moseme.

He says that the learning tools and processes implemented by GEFSTA, with the aim of improving the performance of students, include group exercises and discussions, accessing applicable case studies, instruments, self-assessments tools and role playing. Moseme says that the one big challenge of the training school is finding suitable candidates for its fire training programmes. He says that Grade 12 is the minimum education requirement for acceptance into GEFSTA’s training academy and most of its targeted recruits do not have Grade 12. Moseme says, however, that GEFSTA intends to train at least 10 unemployed youth every year. “We will do this without charging them and we will also look at assisting national government organisations (NGOs).”

He says that GEFSTA’s training programmes are developed to build a learning culture within the lecture rooms and are designed to make learning enjoyable by incorporating interactive programmes. Other key aspects of the programmes developed by the organisation are activitybased training modules and outcomebased learning in order to achieve the

GEFSTA’s fire training premises based in the Free State

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Heritage

Full military honours By Lenny Naidoo Honour guard and walk-through for the viewing If the family has requested an honour guard, the detail needs to be chosen or the family can request specific department members. The honour guard’s primary duty is to stand vigil during the wake or viewing. A team of two takes a 15-minute watch, beginning 30 minutes before the viewing and ending 30 minutes after, one at the head and one at the foot of the casket. A second team relieves them every 15 minutes. Some departments expand the honour guard to include the pallbearers and a colour guard for the funeral.

Honouring the fallen

lthough individual fire departments tend to have their own way of doing things, there are many points of agreement on how to properly memorialise a fallen fire fighter. For example, a ’Last Alarm Service’ might call for tolling the bell three times or for tolling the bell in three sets of fives. What everyone seems to agree upon, however, is that a bell service is an appropriate part of a fire fighter’s memorial. A ‘Placing of the Glove’ service, in which department members remove their right gloves and place them on the casket, is less common. Fire departments that plan ahead for these occasions, hoping of course these plans will never be needed, are wise to ask each fire fighter to write down exactly what is desired at a memorial. This can include choice of music, pallbearers, clergy, entertainment and any other details the fire fighter cares to designate. Next, after the fire fighter’s directives, the family must be consulted. Their wishes outweigh the traditions of the fire department, so while the fire department’s family liaison should present all the options, the family can select only those elements of the service they wish to have included. For example, tradition might call for an honour guard to stand watch at the casket during the wake or viewing; the family may decline for any reason. They should fully understand the options presented but not be pressured into including a tradition

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simply because the department (or the chief) wants it, or ‘the public expects it’. Procedures immediately after a line of duty death The family must be notified before the press. When the family has been informed according to department policy, the period of mourning begins. The signs of mourning can include shrouded badges, bunting placed on the station’s sign and on the fire fighter’s engine or apparatus during the funeral procession and the flag at the station lowered to half-staff. Most departments assign a member to be the family liaison. If the department has a chaplain, some of the responsibilities will fall on his or her shoulders. Other responsibilities that can be taken on by the department include assigning an honour guard for the wake or viewing, finding a colour guard for the funeral, naming ushers for the service and selecting pallbearers to carry the casket or cremated remains. The department also can find a location that will accommodate a large funeral, make arrangements for the funeral procession and plan a luncheon or other gathering after the service. One or more of the department officials may write a eulogy based on a close personal friendship or knowledge of the deceased. All of these decisions must take into consideration the final wishes of the deceased and the preferences of the family.

All of these functions require up to 18 people, with designations and training needed for those responsible for standing guard at the casket, carrying the flags, folding the flag that draped the casket, and performing other duties. A ‘walk-through’ is a formal ceremony during the wake or viewing. At a predetermined time, uniformed members and dignitaries enter and pass single file by the casket. Each fire fighter stops briefly at the casket to pay tribute to the deceased. The family should be informed of the exact time and procedure for the walk-through. Etiquette for uniformed members The area of most confusion seems to be, ‘When do I remove my cover?’ The answer is, when entering the funeral home or church unless you are a pallbearer or member of the honour guard or colour guard. They may wear their hats at all times. Others put their hats on when they go back outside. The other question is whether to salute the casket indoors with hat on or off. Protocol seems to contradict itself here: don’t wear your hat indoors but don’t salute unless you’re wearing your cover. When you approach the casket of the fallen brother/ sister, you stop, say a short prayer, put on your hat, come to attention with a sharp salute and then slowly lower the salute, turn and depart, removing your hat once you return to your seat or point of assembly. Although Fire and Rescue International recognises the obligation of publishing these guidelines we truly hope that it will not be needed.

Leading fire and safety

IFSEC South Africa 2014

organisations pitch up at IFSEC exhibition

nnual commercial security, homeland security and fire exhibition, IFSEC South Africa 2014, was again held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng, from 13 to 15 May 2014. IFSEC South Africa, which is one of six global events where industry is afforded a platform to reach a broad buying chain, featured over

150 exhibitors and 6 000 industry peers in attendance at the three day event. Various companies exhibited primarily featuring a host of technology enterprises in the security industry. An array of fire and occupation safety and health (OSH) organisations also showcased their respective systems and products. The OSH EXPO Africa 2014 featured a range of exhibitors with a focus

on safety and fire and these include large enterprises like MSA that showcased a range of products, such as a handheld infrared gas and flame detector. Visitors to the OSH Expo were spoiled for choice for PPE products displayed by a host of premier organisations like Honeywell, Charnaud, Dromex and Vanguard Fire and Safety.

Bagshaw Footwear’s Silvana Lennox

Jocelyn Kettle and Louisa Els of Imperial Armour

LexisNexis sales consultants

MSA sales and products managers, Loren Pearson and Suraksha Mohun

Vanguard’s Stuart Wood and Quinton Canning

HexArmor owner’s Nancy Gelpke and Dave Gelpke Volume 2 No. 12

IFSEC South Africa 2014 Cutting edge technology in security and fire was on display at the IFSEC event and included products ranging from close circuit television (CCTV) technology, remote monitoring, fire protection, access control, intruder alarms, perimeter protection, biometrics and personal protection equipment (PPE). Among the exhibitors at IFSEC included Imperial Armour, which manufactures PPE in a range of sectors including fire fighting industry as well as ADI Global Distribution that supplies commercial fire alarm systems and advanced smoke detection systems among many other products. Instacom, a supplier of push-to-talk communication products exhibited a range of products at IFSEC 2014 including its Push-to-track solution that is designed to for fleet, personnel and asset management using global positioning system (GPS) technology.

Liquid Bullet directors, Jason Keogh and Louis Swanepoel

Bloodhound Technology sales consultants, Julie Peters and Jaun van Rooyen

A group of Instacom’s sales representatives at IFSEC 2014

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3M’s sales and marketing team Muzi Mzimela, Marc Husselmann and Frank Vaaltyn

Safety Express Stromberg sales team Yolanda Meyer and Bonita Venter

Belinda Fivaz with HSP Group’s stand models

Case study

Rescue operations during helicopter accident on board the motor vessel, Jolly Rubino By Andrè Tomlinson

n 23 November 2002 a helicopter on a routine flight delivering a salvage team to the stranded vessel Jolly Rubino crashed onto the deck with 16crew. What followed was an almost miraculous outcome brought about by the culmination of exceptional

circumstances and the unselfish actions of the crewmembers. The following report provides background to the event and details of the actions that took place on that day. Background The Jolly Rubino is an Italianflagged, Roro vessel with a

deadweight tonnage of 31 262. On 10 September the vessel departed the Port of Durban en route to Mombasa. Underway, amidst heavy seas and wind, a fire broke out in the vessels engine compartment. Unable to contain the blaze, severely compounded by the extreme weather, the master and crew were forced to abandon the vessel late on 10 September just south of Richards Bay on the Kwa Zulu-Natal coast. Smit Salvage, the world’s largest salvage organisation, was awarded the contract to salvage the vessel. In spite of several attempts to take the vessel under tow, severely hampered by adverse weather and sea conditions, the vessel ran aground approximately one nautical mile from Cape St Lucia, approximately 14km south of the St Lucia Estuary. At the time of the accident the Jolly Rubino carried approximately 11 000 tons of fuel oil, 225 tons of gas oil and 47 containers of hazardous cargo. What followed was a 101-day salvage operation during which it was first attempted to remove the beached vessel and

Honeywell sales executives Jim Reid and Lauren Clueit

ADI Global Distribution’s sales representatives

SafeQuip’s David Nash and Johan Pretorius

Posing on the remaining wreckage of the Puma against the ventilation trunking, back: Gunther Skoberla, Marcelle Naude, Piet Uys and Simon Papenfus. Middle: Abie Retief. Front: Henk du Plessis. Photo courtesy of Smit Salvage

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Case study three days and cause extensive damage to the vessel. Further, the Jolly Rubino’s angle provided a surface not much less steeper than an average stairwell. The slope, combined with surf spray and rain, typically provides for very slippery footing on the deck as well as making passage up and down the ship’s various stairwells, dangerous and exhausting work. Finally, Smit Salvage had as procedure mobilised a safety/rescue boat to stand by at the Jolly Rubino from the beginning of the operation for no other purpose than to recover any staff that may go overboard as a result of an accident or should staff have to abandon the vessel in the event it broke up.

An example of winching operations. The ventilation trunking structure and vacuum plant platform under and in which the crew on the ground took cover can be seen clearly. Photo courtesy of Smit Salvage later progressed to safeguard the vessel for permanent residence on the shore through the removal of the hazardous cargo and fuel stocks. During these operations, a large number of salvage and specialist subcontractors including salvers, divers, hazardous material cleanup teams, demolition experts, rescue paramedics and standby crews would partake in an unprecedented operation in South African salvage history. The event On Saturday, 23 November at 07h00, a routine salvage team shuttle departed from Richards Bay Airport with a crew of 16 to the Jolly Rubino for the start of day 74 of the salvage operation. Due to the location of the vessel salvage teams were shuttled by means of helicopter, in this case a Super Puma chartered from NAC Helicopters. At 07h26, directly after lowering the second stick of crew, the helicopter suffered a tail rotor failure; the cause has yet to be identified by the Civil Aviation Authorities. The helicopter started to auto-rotate and slammed into the deck. Due to the vessel’s 22 degree angle of list, the helicopter started to slide down the deck toward the sea. The aircraft slid all the way down to the edge of the 58

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ship where it fortuitously stopped against a ventilation trunking; an exterior structure that houses the stacks of the lower hold’s ventilation system. Had it passed either forward or aft of the trunking, the aircraft and crew would have been in the surf. The aircraft ended against the housing at a very steep angle, compounded by the ship’s own list, approximately 50 degrees on the horizontal plain. On coming to rest, the pilots closed the turbines off. It is at this time that the pool of jet fuel that had collected in a gutter formed by the ship’s deck ignited. The fire eventually spilled overboard and resulted in the helicopter’s total destruction. To better appreciate the fortuitous circumstances that contributed to the favourable outcome that day, it should be understood that the vessel, once beached, found itself no less than 200 metres from the highwater mark, in the middle of the surf. This resulted that the seaward side of the vessel (the side the Puma slid towards) was constantly pounded by five to seven metre swells and occasionally up to nine-metre swells during inclement weather. On the morning of the accident, there was almost no surf against the ship. Less than eight hours later, a storm front would move in that lasted the next

Crew fate At the time of the accident, hazmat technicians Mike Tsie and Vincent Nkabinde were already on the deck (the first to be lowered), while Simon Papenfus and Henk du Plessis had just unhooked themselves from the winch strops. The balance of the 16 man crew was still onboard the Puma. The disintegration of the tail rotor was immediately heard by the crew on the deck. Looking upward, they were confronted by a helicopter momentarily coming right down at them. Instinctively, the crew took shelter underneath both the closest ventilation trunking and the work platform housing a vacuum plant used in the oil removal operation. Once the Puma hit the deck, the main rotor started to disintegrate resulting in pieces of propeller rocketing into all directions; one lodging itself close to the one crew in the ventilation housing. On impacting the deck, flight engineer Les Beetge (located in the open door during winching operations) was thrown from the aircraft on the down-slope side of the aircraft. His safety harness, connected to the tieoff point inside the aircraft, as well as the extreme short time span in which events unfolded, prevented Beetge from being able to do anything but being literally pushed by the aircraft down the deck during the Puma’s last stage of travel. Due to his position, Beetge was literally drenched in jet fuel. Once the aircraft came to a

Case study rest, Beetge found himself in a position almost underneath the aircraft against the side of the ship. It was in this location trapped in his harness, where he was when the fuel ignited. Once the helicopter came to a rest, flight officer Dave Peterson and salvage chemist Wolter van der Press, a Dutch national, found themselves right against the ventilation trunking (the other door popped off on impact) when the fuel ignited. Being at this stage the furthest from the up-gradient door, their quickest escape would be through a 400mm by 400mm drainage hole cut in the ventilation housing. Choosing this escape route would put both into sea on the surf side of the vessel. Both immediately bailed through the hole into the surf. In a twist of irony, it was Van der Press that created the hole in the trunking weeks earlier during earlier deck clearing operations in so unknowingly setting the stage for his own survival. Once the aircraft came to a standstill, both pilot Eddy Brown and co-pilot Martin van der Riet were lightly entrapped by both the deformation of the flight console (the nose wheel punched into the cab) as well as the deformity of the plexi-glass doors. Both Brown and Van der Riet sustained injuries to the legs and had difficulty exiting the cabin once they cut power and fuel to turbines.

Puma came to a standstill. Almost all the crew were momentarily incapacitated, some due to the acute angle of the aircraft and others restrained due to either deformed doors or safety equipment. The crew that had already disembarked the helicopter at the time of the accident, immediately set about, even before the rotors stopped turning, to assist the crew still in the wreckage. Two of the flight crew had to be assisted to move away from the wreckage. Les Beetge, restrained by his safety harness and temporarily paralysed, was cut free and dragged from the burning wreckage. Simultaneously, the two crewmembers that bailed into the water were recovered by the ‘My Lady, the standby rescue boat, within seconds of them going overboard. After the initial recovery of all crew from the wreckage, shelter was sought from the fire and in the event any explosions followed. Once it was obvious that no explosions would follow, the medic and other crews with rescue/emergency medical experience set about to protect and treat the most severely of the injured. At this time, the alarm that an accident had occurred had gone out to the Smit Salvage operations room in Richards Bay. The Cape St

Lucia lighthouse keeper had noticed the smoke column emanating from the Jolly Rubino. Within minutes of the receipt of the alarm, a massive rescue operation was launched that included the dispatch of four helicopters, emergency medical and rescue ground crews, a full trauma team at The Bay hospital, three rescue craft and a fixed wing aircraft on standby. At the time of the accident, the Titan Aviation Mi8, used in the salvage operation to remove the oil residues from the Jolly Rubino’s cargo deck, was going through its preflight checks in preparation for the day’s work at the St Lucia base. On receipt of the alarm, the Smit Salvage’s operations room immediately dispatched the Mi8 to the Jolly Rubino along with another salvage team member with communications equipment. Arriving at the scene, the Mi8’s crew realised that the prevalence of fire and debris on the deck, compounded by the aircraft’s massive downdraft, would not allow for the aircraft to evacuate the injured directly from the vessel. It was thus decided that the injured would be removed from the vessel to shore by boat from where the air evacuation would be performed. This created a severe exit-dilemma as the only egress from the ship was via two pilots ladders

The balance of the crew was located in the main cabin of the aircraft at the time of the impact. Once the Puma came to a standstill against the ventilation housing, salvage diver Piet Uys was able to wrench open the up-gradient door that allowed the remaining crew to evacuate safely. Due to the compounded angle of the aircraft and vessel the rapid exit of the crew was purely adrenaline driven considering that almost all sustained some injuries as a result of the violent turns the aircraft made on the way down as well as the impact on the deck. Sometime during the crew’s evacuation from the main cabin the fuel had ignited. Rescue efforts The most decisive interventions came in the first seconds after the

The wreck of the Jolly Rubino today, Photo courtesy of StLuciasouthafrica.com Volume 2 No. 12

Case study down an estimated 18-metre drop; approximately as high as a six story building). The more ambulatory of the injured were able to climb down the pilot’s ladder and were relocated to shore by the ‘My Lady’ rescue craft. Fortuitously, the EnviroServ hazmat crew had in their equipment inventory a rope rescue system that was used earlier in the operation to place rigging and anchor points on ship’s exterior hull in preparation for the vacuum operations. With this equipment and a few field improvisations, the salvage team on deck were able to rig a lowering system by which the stretcher cases, Eddy Brown and Les Beetge, were removed down the side of the ship and onto the rescue launches. Once on shore, all the injured received medical care from the medical rescue crews that had arrived on the numerous helicopters and 4x4 rescue vehicles. After being sorted and stabilised on the beach, the injured were flown to The Bay hospital in Richards Bay in four flights from where all were processed through the casualty department. Worthy of mention is that on Wednesday, 27 November, half of the team – injured and uninjured – were back at work on the Jolly Rubino.

On the shore-side of operations, emergency medical and rescue crews from Richards Bay Emergency Services as well as crews from the KwaZulu-Natal KZN) Ambulance Emergency Services and Netcare911 were dispatched to the scene by helicopter and by road. Several medics were eventually ferried onto the vessel where they assisted the salvage team’s rescue crew with patient stabilisation and packaging. At Netcare’s The Bay Hospital, a full triage plan was activated to assure the prioritising and effective treatment of the injured. A trauma ambulance helicopter, Echo 4 of Star Helicopters, was dispatched from Durban to be on standby at The Bay Hospital in case the more severely injured had to be transferred to trauma centres in Durban. As contingency measure a KZN AEMS fixed-wing aircraft was placed on standby in case of more severe burn cases that may have to be evacuated to definitive care facilities in Cape Town or Johannesburg. In all, rescue resources included one Titan Aviation Mi 8 helicopter, one NAC Eurocopter, one NAC Super Puma helicopter, the Star medical rescue helicopter, two Smit rescue craft, two NSRI rescue craft, a rescue vehicle and three ambulances from Richards Bay Emergency Services,

The first flight arriving at The Bay Hospital. Pictured is the salvage engineer, Jon Beck and safety officer, Wolter Van der Press, both Dutch nationals, assisted by Smit Salvage’s Ken Elm. Photo courtesy of Smit Salvage 60

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KZN AEMS and Netcare911 as well as approximately 60 staff (composed of salvers, hazmat technicians, doctors, paramedics, fire fighters, NSRI crew, flight crews and police) hailing from Smit Salvage, EnviroServ Hazmat, Richards Bay Emergency Services, KZN Ambulance Emergency Services, Netcare911, the NSRI, Star helicopters, Titan Aviation, NAC Helicopters and the Richards Bay Public Safety Department. Significant actions Probably the greatest contributing factor to the extraordinary outcome of the day was the actions and teamwork of the salvage team and flight crew. While each and every member contributed there are several significant actions that need to be highlighted. Simon Papenfus is a fire fighter/ hazmat technician attached to the Smit Salvage team through EnviroServ Hazmat at the time of the accident. Initially taking cover during the Puma’s impact and downgrade passage (he was on deck at the time of the mishap) Papenfus rushed down the deck once the aircraft came to a standstill and immediately assisted pilots Eddy Brown and Martin van der Riet as well as two crew from the main cabin. Directly following this action flight engineer, Les Beetge, called for help from the opposite side of the wreck. Gaining access to Beetge required Papenfus and salvage engineer Cameron Samuals (himself injured) to first remove a plexiglass door before gaining access by crawling under the side of the wreck of the Puma. On accessing Beetge, Papenfus found that his safety harness restrained him. At this stage, two events occurred ie it was found that Beetge was also incapacitated and the fuel ignited; Beetge and Papenfus were covered in fuel at this time. On getting Beetge released from his harness, Papenfus was able to drag Beetge out of the wreckage where salvage diver Henk du Plessis further assisted to drag Beetge clear of the fire to the shelter of a water tank further up the deck where they weathered the worst of the fire. Directly following these events, Papenfus and hazmat technician,

Case study Gunther Skoberla, who was also on the aircraft and lightly injured, assisted medic, Marcell Naude, to treat the three more serious injured ie flight engineer Les Beetge, pilot Eddy Brown and co-pilot Marc van der Riet. They were relocated to shelter under the bridge until further rescue solutions were identified. It was later agreed that that all casualties were to be removed to the beach. In the case of the above three non-walking casualties, this required that a rope lowering system be set up to evacuate the stretchers to a platform located above the water line on the side of the ship. Papenfus, a high-angle qualified rescue technician, with assistance of Skoberla, set up and a lowering system and instructed the Smit Salvage team members on the system’s operation. As measure to assure a safe and comfortable passage for the stretcher cases down the side of the ship, Papenfus and diver Henk du Plessis acted as stretcher tenders by attaching themselves to the rigging system and ‘walking’ the stretcher down the side of the down the 18 metre freeboard. This drill was repeated three times. Eddy Brown was the pilot of the Puma. An ex South African Air Force officer, Brown is probably one of the country’s most experienced Puma pilot. Whilst hovering, Brown noticed an object flying up in the corner of his eye. He immediately asked flight engineer, Les Beetge, what the item was. At that moment, the tail rotor disintegrated at which Les announced that the tail rotor was gone. Realising that the importance of controlling the direction of the aircraft’s downward travel was critical to the crew’s survival, Brown slammed the aircraft directly into the deck. Had he delayed for even a few seconds, the aircraft could probably have hit the water on either side of the vessel or the bridge structure; eventualities that may have possibly seen a tragically different outcome. Marcell Naude is an active paramedic contracted to the project through EnviroServ Hazmat. At the time of the accident, Naude was

in the aircraft and one of the first to disembark. Directly following his escape, Naude called for a diving knife to free Les Beetge; eventually not required. Immediately after the worst of the fire; Naude proceeded to stabilise, demobilised and package the most serious of the injured as well as treat the most acute of the walking injured. It should be mentioned that Naude was able perform his duties even though his jump bag, drug kit and pulse oximeter were burnt in the wreck. Naude also took charge of his duties though being a victim himself. To be mentioned in this context are the actions of divers Piet Uys and Abie Retief that, though both injured themselves, made several exhausting trips to and from the bridge to shuttle emergency medical equipment and rescue stretchers required by Naude and his medical crew. For 74 days the standby rescue boat ‘My Lady’ had little more to do than provide early morning and late afternoon cover when the daily staff shuttles arrived and departed. In less than 10 minutes, the vessel would justify its existence a thousand fold over. Crewed by skipper, Karl Niemans, and salvage diver, Bertus Classens, ‘My Lady’ was holding off on the shore-side of the vessel on the morning of the accident. On witnessing the Puma’s decent, the crew immediately mobilised to the opposite side of the vessel where they found two bodies and in the water where they recovered an almost unconscious and severely shocked salvage chemist Wolter van der Press and immediately afterwards flight engineer Dave Peterson suffering from burns and shock. Later the morning, ‘My Lady’ would be instrumental in ferrying the

A view of the Jolly Rubino. Note the angle of the vessel and the surf breaking over the vessel. Photo courtesy of Smit Salvage majority of the crew to shore and rescue crews from shore to the vessel. A footnote should also be given to the St Lucia lighthouse warden Japie Greeff and his wife that witnessed the accident and ensuing fire and continued to calmly notify the Smit ops room and Port of Richards Bay of the accident followed by serving for several hours as observation post and communications relay. Their 18year old son, Heyman Greeff was on the aircraft that morning to start a week of part-time work. Summary Individually and collectively the unselfish actions by a crew, themselves as much victims as rescuers, came together to produce an outcome of events that borders on the miraculous considering both the locations and the fact that helicopter accidents are by their nature almost always fatal. Of special mention are the actions of Simon Papenfus that placed himself willingly and knowingly in harms way. Had it not been for his actions, Les Beetge would surely have perished. The entire Smit Salvage team of 23 November were nominated for the Debis Award.

Marcell Naudé, the paramedic who performed his duties so exceptional during the event described in this report, was tragically killed in an aircraft accident on 26 June 2003 whilst on an aero-medical rescue mission in the Rooisand region of Namibia. Naudé was the medic on an iSOS mercy flight that responded to a motor vehicle accident near Swakopmund. The aircraft crashed on take-off from the accident scene. All souls on board were lost. Most pertinently is that Naudé did not have to be on this flight as he had completed his last shift on his way home; he volunteered. Naudé leaves his wife Anneke (also a paramedic) and two children behind.

Volume 2 No. 12

What’s on?

2014 July 4 July 2014 Fundamentals of fire investigation The programme will promote a clear understanding of fire investigation and the rendering of opinion regarding origin and cause. It includes practical investigation exercises and is now aligned with NFPA 921 Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za 7 July 2014 Basic fire fighting module The basic theory of fire, methods of extinguishment, components, operations and practical use of fire extinguishers and hose reels Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za 9 July 2014 Fire fighting and evacuation model Basic theory and practical exercises for the use of portable fire extinguishers and hose-reels on incipient stage fires. It cover duties and responsibilities of fire marshals during an emergency Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, Gauteng, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za 9 – 10 July 2014 Ambulex 2014 Exhibition exclusively targeting ambulances, ambulance support, emergency rescue vehicles and related equipment. Venue: Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK For further information visit: www.ambulex.com/exhibition/ 14 – 18 July 2014 Fire appliance reconditioning A course designed to provide learners with a working knowledge of the correct measures to be taken to restore an extinguisher or hose-reel to full operational readiness Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za 15 – 18 July 2014 Storage Tank and Associated Facilities Fire Hazard Management Workshop Delegates will learn how to assess and control fire related risks in flammable liquid storage tanks and associated facilities. Venue: Sasol Fire Training Centre, Secunda Contact: Email: support@dosetch.co.za

Volume 2 No. 12

21 – 24 July 2014 Workplace Fire fighting I A programme covering practical fire fighting for incipient stage/small fires including the use of extinguishers, foam equipment, large diameter hose and BA if required Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za

6 August 2014 Fire fighting and evacuation model Basic theory and practical exercises for the use of portable fire extinguishers and hose-reels on incipient stage fires. It covers duties and responsibilities of fire marshals during an emergency Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za

22 July 2014 Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS) Participants will be able to perform the initial steps of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in victims of all ages, basic airway manoeuvres and rescue breathing with and without adjuncts Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com

6 August 2014 Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS) Participants will be able to perform the initial steps of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in victims of all ages, basic airway manoeuvres and rescue breathing with and without adjuncts Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com

23 – 24 July 2014 Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Candidates will be competent to recognise and initiate the management of cardiac arrest and peri-arrest conditions Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com 28 July 2014 South African Qualification and Certification Committee assessment session Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za 28 July 2014 International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) ITLS courses are designed for providers who are first to evaluate and stabilise the trauma patient. The courses provide complete training in the skills needed for rapid assessment, resuscitation, stabilisation and transportation of trauma patients Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com

August 4 – 8 August 2014 Fire Prevention and Strategies Theory of fire, legislation, components, operation and use of extinguishers, flammable liquids and gases, hot work, fire hazards of electrical equipment/installations, components/operation/site control of sprinklers and automatic fire detection systems, the organisation and management of fire teams and occupational fire brigades Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za

7 – 8 August 2014 Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Candidates will be competent to recognise and initiate the management of cardiac arrest and peri-arrest conditions Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com 13 – 14 August 2014 International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) ITLS courses are designed for providers who are first to evaluate and stabilise the trauma patient. The courses provide complete training in the skills needed for rapid assessment, resuscitation, stabilisation and transportation of trauma patients Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com 13 – 16 August 2014 FRI 2014 - IAFC Annual Conference and Expo Celebrate 140 years of leadership, education and dedication to the fire and emergency service at the IAFC’s Annual Conference and Expo. FRI brings top leaders from around the country together Venue: Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA For more information visit: http://www.iafc.org/micrositeFRIconf/ 15 – 24 August World Fire fighters Games 2014 Los Angeles The games are open to full time career fire fighters, part time and volunteer fire fighters; wildland fire fighters; fire chiefs; emergency service workers; ambulance personnel; paramedics; military and aviation fire fighters, petrochemical fire fighters, support services personnel, along with their direct family members. Venue: Los Angeles Convention Centre (LACC) Contact: Email: info@wfgevents.com For more info go to: www.cvent.com/events/ world-fire fighters-games-los-angeles-2014

25 – 29 August 2014 Fire appliance reconditioning A course designed to provide learners with a working knowledge of the correct measures to be taken to restore an extinguisher or hose-reel to full operational readiness Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za

8 – 12 September 2014 Fundamentals of fire investigation The programme will promote a clear understanding of fire investigation and the rendering of opinion regarding origin and cause. It includes practical investigation exercises and is now aligned with NFPA 921 Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za

September

10 – 13 September 2014 SAEC Fire Challenge Venue: 1 Ardeer Road, Modderfontein, Kempton Park, South Africa Contact: Chantal Struwig Tel: 011 608 0907

1 September 2014 South African Qualification and Certification Committee assessment session Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za 2 – 4 September 2014 SIPS – 6th South Russian International Protection and Security Exhibition The international specialised exhibition for protection, security and fire safety in southern Russia, and guides business to manufacturing competitive products which meet international quality standards. Venue: Kuban Expocentre, Krasnodar, Russia Contact: Agnius Kazlauskas Tel: 00 044 (0) 207 596 5079 Email: agnius.kazlauskas@ ite-exhibitions.com For more information visit: www.sips-expo.ru 3 September 2014 Fire fighting and evacuation model Basic theory and practical exercises for the use of portable fire extinguishers and hosereels on incipient stage fires. It covers duties and responsibilities of fire marshals during an emergency Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za 8 – 9 September 2014 International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) ITLS courses are designed for providers who are first to evaluate and stabilise the trauma patient. The courses provide complete training in the skills needed for rapid assessment, resuscitation, stabilisation and transportation of trauma patients Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com 8 – 11 September 2014 Workplace Fire fighting I A programme covering practical fire fighting for incipient stage/small fires including the use of extinguishers, foam equipment, large diameter hose and BA if required Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za

15 September 1014 Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS) Participants will be able to perform the initial steps of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in victims of all ages, basic airway manoeuvres and rescue breathing with and without adjuncts Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com 15 September 1014 Basic fire fighting module The basic theory of fire, methods of extinguishment, components, operations and practical use of fire extinguishers and hose reels Venue: FPASA College, 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za 15 – 17 September 1014 Fire rescue Canada Topics such as inclusion, respectful workplace, mental health both in the community and within the service, social media, fire literacy and many more Venue: Ottowa, Ontario, Canada Contact: CAFC’s Director of Events and Operation Email vroper@cafc.ca Tel: 00 1 613 301 8369 For more information visit: www. cafc.ca/en 16 – 17 September 1014 Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Candidates will be competent to recognise and initiate the management of cardiac arrest and peri-arrest conditions Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com 17 – 19 September 2014 ECSSA 2014 Conference First contact to final outcome: Evolution of Prehospital Emergency Care Venue: Maropeng, in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site For more information visit: www.ecssa.org.za

17 – 18 September 2014 Disaster Risk Reduction Conference Presented by the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa in partnership with Northumbria University UK Venue: Sibaya – Imbizo Conference Centre, Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa Contact: Ms K. Muller Tel: 011 822 1634 Email: Karin@disaster.co.za For more information visit: www.disaster.co.za 18 – 21 September 2014 ISAF 18th Exhibition ISAF Exhibition 18th edition will cover the following five exhibitions in 2014: ISAF Security, ISAF Fire, ISAF Safety and Health, ISAF IT Security, ISAF Smart Houses Venue: Istanbul Expo Centre, Istanbul For more information visit: www.isaffuari.com 24 – 25 September The Emergency Services Show This event showcases a vast range of cuttingedge products and services that can increase resilience to emergencies Venue: NEC Birmingham, UK For more information visit: www.emergencyuk.com 24 – 26 September 2014 SIPS – 23rd Siberian International Fire Fighting, Emergency and Rescue Exhibition Provides a platform for international and domestic security companies seeking to expand within Russia and reach the new end-users, distributors and buyers of security equipment Venue: International Exhibition Centre Siberian Fair, Novosibirsk, Russia Contact: Agnius Kazlauskas Tel: 044 (0) 207 596 5079 Email: Agnius.Kazlauskas@ ite-exhibitions.com For more information visit: www.sips-siberia.ru 29 – 30 September 1014 Basic life Support Instructor Course (BLS I) All instructors must have a valid BLS instructor certificate and have a firm, working knowledge of the training materials, including textbooks and certificates to be issued for each specific Course. All examination material must be kept under strict lock and key at all times Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com

October 01 – 02 October 2014 FIVE Fire in Vehicles 2014 Fire development in vehicles, fire risks in vehicles with alternative fuels, fire detection and fire suppression in vehicles, statistics and insurance issues, incident management and case studies For more info go to www.firesinvehicles.com 3 October 2014 Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS) Participants will be able to perform the initial steps of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in victims of all ages, basic airway manoeuvres and rescue breathing with and without adjuncts Venue: Action Training Academy, Fourways, South Africa Contact: Gugulethu More Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: gugulethu.more@ ata-international.com

Volume 2 No. 12

Poem

“No greater reward” Awaken by our pagers, a cloud in our heads, The loves of our lives still lying in bed. We get dressed in a hurry and out with the night, They lay there and worry ‘Will they be alright?’. We arrive on the scene, a house full of smoke, Wondering where is the fire? Is it playing a sick joke? After a 360 was done and the chief had the proof, Up went a brother and sister to put a hole in the roof. The monster was breathing when we got a fright, A report of a mother, and two children inside. With quickness and bravery packed up and inside, My brother and sister searched hard for the find. They found one child, then they had two. Passed child after child out a window to the crew. They found the mother passed out but alive, Like a bolt of lightning all three were outside. After an overhaul was done and there was no harm, All brothers and sisters headed straight back to the barn. We all went home to the loves of our lives, We hugged them and kissed them and said “We’re alright”. Now some may ask why we risk our own hides, There is no greater reward... than saving some lives. Submitted by author and ‘Brotherhood of Fire’ fan: Shawn Aunkst – 21 January 2013 Gibbon Volunteer Fire Department Gibbon, Nebraska, USA

Volume 2 No. 11