Fire and Rescue International Vol 3 No 8 by Fire and Rescue International

Strap

Integrated fire, rescue, EMS and incident command technology

Volume 3 No 8

Contents 2

Comment

Competition 3 FRI Images Cover profile 4 Record-breaking attendance at Interschutz 2015 15 Holmatro’s Extrication Challenge at Interschutz 2015 16 Toughest Firefighter Alive 2015 - Germany News 18 Tianjin: worst disaster for first responders in recent Chinese history 22 Launch of new South African postage stamps in honour of fire fighters 24 South Africans tour Rosenbauer state-of-the-art facility in Austria 28 Chubb Fire, FPASA and Brixton Fire visit Children of Fire 29 Robin Fortuin wins Centrum Guardians 2015 33 New CFO for Breede Valley Fire and Rescue Service 34 SAESI 2015: Get your gear ready! Hazardous materials 36 Hazardous materials – explosives – by Colin Deiner

What’s on? 70 Fire, disaster and rescue related events across the globe Poem 72 “3-4-3” – by Tom Kenney

Fire service 36 The City of Hanover Fire Department – by Willie Olivier and Michael Hintz Incident command system 48 The incident command system toolkit Acetylene fires 52 Fire service response to incidents involving acetylene cylinders – by Etienne du Toit Training 56 eThekwini Metro Fire and Emergency Services: physical fitness assessment – by Alex Gloster Wildfire investigation 59 Wildfire investigations – the cold case – by Arnold Swart

Rescue roundup 62 The six principals of rescue foundation – by Neville Van Rensburg Wildfires 64 So, who is responsible for managing wildfires in the urban interface? – by Zane Erasmus Leadership 66 Culture of the emergency services – by Wayne Bailey Heritage 68 The Halligan bar

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Comment Editor Lee Raath-Brownie lee@fireandrescue.co Cell 082 371 0190 Journalist edit@fireandrescue.co Cell 071 641 3884 Advertising advertising@fireandrescue.co Cell 079 107 3967 Design and layout Marc Raath marc@fireandrescue.co Digital newsletter Pierre du Plessis Finance Noddie Knibbs accounts@fireandrescue.co Circulation Vicki Jacob subs@fireandrescue.co Secretary Vicki Jacob pa@fireandrescue.co Administration Mirriam Moroane Contributions USA Wayne Bailey Tom Kenney Europe Michael Hintz Africa Colin Deiner Etienne du Toit Rodney Eksteen Alex Gloster Nicholas Orson Neels de Klerk Arnold Swart Neville van Rensburg Zane Erasmus Publisher Lee Raath-Brownie FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL Tel 011 452 3135/6 Fax 086 671 6920 Box 8299 Greenstone 1616 www.fireandrescue.co 2 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

The 32nd edition of Fire and Rescue International (FRI) serves as a testimony of our readers’ diligence, providing thought provoking news, reviews of events and competitions as well as practical and proactive advice. Enjoy the read! Interschutz 2015 The world’s fire and rescue fraternity gathered in Germany earlier this year for Interschutz 2015, held in Hanover. It is with certainty an event to be experienced. We try and bring you some of the highlights of Lee Raath-Brownie this extraordinary exhibition. However, we would need another 1 000 pages to do it justice. Conversely, it was disappointing not to see more South Africans at this flagship exhibition and networking hub. It is a must for the professional. Budget now for 2020! News section On a very sombre and sober note, we review the Tianjin explosion, the worst disaster for first responders in Chinese history. On a more cheerful and proud note, we were honoured to attend the launch of the South African postage stamps in honour of fire fighters, the Centrum Guardian Awards and we visited Children of Fire. Breede Valley announces its new CFO, SAESI urges you to attend the conference and exhibition planned for November and we provide a walk-through of the Rosenbauer plants in Leonding, Austria. Hazardous materials: explosives In the first of a nine part series, Colin Deiner provides an indepth look at understanding and identifying the risks ensued by hazardous chemicals. Deiner details the classification of explosives, unpacks managing the incident, adding advice for operational crews and looks at the tactical implications on incidents command. Fire service Established in 1880, the City of Hanover Fire and Rescue Service has a long-standing tradition of fire fighting and rescue activities paired with state-of-the art technology and this profile offers readers an ideal window of insight of a typical modern day European service. Incident command system (ICS) We detail the soon to be launched incident command tool kit, its purpose and contents. The toolkit was developed by the South African ICS Working Group with assistance from the Western Cape Government. Acetylene fire In light of the recent Tianjin explosion, Etienne du Toit looks into the characteristics of acetylene and the intricacies and risks involved in fighting acetylene fires. Training Alex Gloster and Nicholas Orson provide an overview of the new physical fitness standard and assessment employed by eThekwini Metro Fire and Emergency Services. Wildfire investigations: the cold case Arnold Swart provides practical advice on investigating cold cases highlighting the importance of record keeping, initial evidence and reliable eye witnesses. Rescue roundup Neville van Rensburg discusses the six principles of rescue foundation highlighting intergrity, both personal and in the work place. Wildfires In part two of this four part series, Zane Erasmus looks at how integrated wildfire management plans for the urban interface differs from others. Leadership The culture of emergency services forms the basis of Wayne Bailey’s discussion, highlighting the importance of teamwork while investigating how to change the culture in the firehouse. We trust you will find this issue useful and enjoy reading it. Fire and Rescue International is your magazine. Read it, use it and share it! Lee Raath-Brownie Publisher

Subscriptions 12 editions per annum South Africa R325 per annum incl VAT Non-subscribers: R35 incl VAT per issue

Proudly serving those who serve Volume 3 | No 8

Images Strap

This month’s FRI images winner! Congratulations to Shaun Graham for his photograph ‘Night drill’ taken with a Nikon D90, a shutter speed of 1/6 of a second, ISO 800 and an aperture 13 F-stop.

Well done! Shaun Graham wins this month’s prize money of R 2 000!

Photo description: This photo was taken during a fire fighting exercise Shaun is dedicating this photograph to his farther-inlaw, Hannes du Toit, who would have turned 54 on 18 September 2015. Hannes was the manager for Sasol Secunda Emergency Management. Hannes du Toit 17-09-1961 to 15-10-2013

Submit your rescue, fire or EMS photo and win R2 000! Fire and Rescue International’s (FRI) monthly photographic competition is open to all its readers and 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.

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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

>>ENTER NOW! FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 3

Interschutz 2015

Record-breaking attendance at Interschutz 2015

nterschutz 2015 was held in June this year and, as the world’s flagship exhibition and networking hub for the fire fighting and prevention, rescue, disaster relief and community safety, it proved to be a recordbreaking exhibition. Held in Hanover, Germany, the sixday show attracted an enthusiastic audience of around 157 000 visitors from around the world, with the highest number of foreign visitors coming from Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg. The event also received top marks with regard to the high calibre of its trade audience, particularly from the rescue and disaster relief sectors as well as the safety and security segment, whose attendance ratio was up by more than 30 percent. Approximately 1 500 exhibitors from 51 countries showcased their products and services; an all-time high. Apart from the host nation of Germany, the majority of exhibitors came from China, Italy and the United States. The exhibition ended up being the biggest Interschutz ever in terms of attendance and the amount of space booked. “Interschutz is the ultimate success story. Rather than being just a platform for selling products and services, it has become a cult event for fire services everywhere!” said Hans-Peter Kröger, president of the German Fire Service Association (DFV). The enthusiasm and buzz was certainly everywhere to be felt. Fire and Rescue International’s owner and editor, Lee Raath-Brownie, attend the six-day event and said it certainly was a game changer. “I have visited Hanover 4 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

Messe numerous times in the past, attending sawmilling and woodworking exhibitions including Ligna. Although these shows were much larger than Interschutz, this was an eye opener as far as fire fighting apparatus and equipment technology is concerned. And what camaraderie and spirit, all in one place! Although a number of South Africans attended the exhibition, I felt that it was important that at least each province should have had representatives visiting the show in order to report back on the latest equipment, systems and expertise available to an industry challenged by budget constraints. We need to make our money work harder,” reported Raath-Brownie. Several conferences, demonstrations and competitions were held during the exhibition, adding to the excitement. Popular events in the ‘rescue’ display category included the Rescue and Disaster Relief Forum and the Emergency Medical Symposium, which provided in-depth coverage of all the key rescue display topics. The fire brigade segment offered a considerable array of events like the ‘Destination: Future’ voluntary fire fighters’ convention presented by the German Fire Service Association, which successfully underscored the importance of preserving the institution of voluntary fire brigades. The safety and security segment focused on critical infrastructure issues, drawing the participation of numerous specialists from the field. Demonstrations and competitions Exhibitor displays at the event were complemented by a diverse supporting program featuring product presentations, competitions and live shows throughout the week. Spectators were delighted by the spectacular demonstrations and competitions such as ‘The Toughest Volume 3 | No 8

Interschutz 2015 Fire Fighter Alive’ and the ‘German Rope Rescue Championship’. The vintage fire truck exhibition, held in partnership with the Hanover Tram Museum, further contributed to making Interschutz 2015 an unforgettable experience for the entire community.

Oshkosh and Pierce

It is near impossible to report back on an exhibition of this magnitude. However, I will attempt in providing a brief overview of apparatus, equipment and gear launched and exhibited. Rosenbauer

Rosenbauer unveiled the fourth generation of its successful Panther airport fire fighting (ARFF) vehicles at Interschutz 2015. The new generation Panther is fitted with a Euro 6 engine and offers state-of-the-art crew safety with the new X-frame, which forms a solid brace around the driver’s cab. Handling performance is optimised with the addition of tyre pressure monitoring systems, electronic roll and stability control and radar system (anti-collision guard). Extinguishing ability includes two new integrated pumps; N80 with a maximum output of 9 000 l/min for the 6x6 Panther and the N65 with a maximum output of 7 000 l/min.

Oshkosh launched its Oshkosh XP fire apparatus, which was engineered and constructed by Oshkosh subsidiary, Pierce Manufacturing Inc. Built on a Scania P360 chassis, has a corrosion resistant 4 638 mm aluminium body with fullheight compartments on both the driver and passenger sides. The apparatus is fully outfitted with a powerful 4 000 litres per minute Godiva pump, integrated foam system, a high-pressure hose reel and a full complement of rescue tools and equipment. Scania has a large footprint in Africa and can therefore provide back-up service and maintenance. The unit is shipped to Africa in a knock down kit and assembled in South Africa by Fire Raiders. The Oshkosh 6x6 Striker was also exhibited featuring the Snozzle high reach extendable turret, courtesy of Manchester International Airport, UK, and the new twinengine Oshkosh 8x8 Striker ARFF. Marcè Fire Fighting Technology

Other apparatus of interest was the Rosenbauer E5000 Escape Stairs for airports, the L32A-XS and L64 aerial ladders, the B42 fully automatic hydraulic platform and the impressive Buffalo Extreme super heavy duty rescue truck fitted on a Paul 6x6 heavy mover for off road terrain fitted with a 33 000 litre tank. Rosenbauer also exhibited its wide range of municipal fire service vehicles, which comprised of the AT, CL, ES and CBS ranges, as well as basic models. In addition, Rosenbauer presented numerous products, including a range of portable pumps, generators and personal protective equipment (PPE). 6 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

South Africa’s Marcè Fire Fighting Technology exhibited for the first time at Interschutz 2015 and displayed the TNT Rescue Systems extrication tools. Jan Steyn, Obie Volume 3 | No 8

Interschutz 2015 Oberholzher and Jaco van der Merwe were on hand to showcase the wide range of apparatus including the recently launched Rhino ARFFs.

US Fire Pump

Ferrara Fire Apparatus

Ferrara Fire Apparatus launched its new Inundator Super Pumper at this year’s Interschutz. Although Ferrara has marketed the Inundator for several years, the new model features a FoamPro Accumax injection foam system, Williams Fire and Hazard Ambassador 21 000 litres per minute monitor with Hydro-Chem nozzle, two TFT Monsoon 7 570 litres per minute rear body monitors, four 127mm discharges and Ferrara’s heavy duty Igniter custom chassis. When hooked up to a pressurised water source, the Super Pumper exceeded a flow rate of 38 000 litres per minute with a water stream hitting 152 metres horizontally and 120 metres vertically. This industrial pumper won the Guinness World Record in April 2015.

US Fire Pump exhibited its range of high volume water supply pumps designed for fire fighting in industrial, oil and gas, nuclear, municipal and marine applications. The USFP High Velocity Pump (HVP) is designed to exceed NFPA 1901 industrial fire pump requirements at ratings of 22 700 litres per minute and more – the highest in the industry. The enclosed skid units provide reliable big water flow ideal for deployment at an industrial plant, manufacturing facility or the back of a work boat and features optimised high water flow through layout and design including a 300mm flanged suction inlet feeding an impeller eye, which exceeds 250mm in diameter with a discharge outlet of 200mm. Holmatro

Bronto Skylift

Bronto Skylift launched two new aerial ladder platforms at Interschutz. The Bronto F112 HLA is the highest aerial platform in the world,’ said Mikko Aarnio, marketing and sales manager for Bronto Skylift. It offers a rescue height of 112 metres with superb height to weight ratio for stability. The compact and manoeuvrable FL45XR offers municipal fire services a reach of 26,5 metres and the FL60XR provides a reach of 31,5 metres with ladders.

Holmatro launched its lighter and more ergonomic 5000 series cutters. Being much lighter than the previous generation, the new 5000 series cutters significantly reduce the physical burden on the operator. The series include the inclined cutter CU 5050 i. Both the CU 5050 and CU 5050 i are new car technology cutters, offering an optimal cutting performance on modern vehicles. Also exhibited was Holmatro’s range of spreaders, amongst its array of numerous extrication and rescue tools. The new 5000 series includes the SP 5240 CL spreader, a compact and lightweight spreader weighing just 9,9kg.

‘The F104 HLA represents Bronto Skylift’s high-rise expertise and enhances fire brigades’ performance with over 100 metre rescue height, while the F70 RPX provides the best in class efficiency and safety as the highest telescopic aerial rescue platform in the world.

Vehicle extrication was a big focus at Interschutz and the Holmatro Rescue Experience provided rescue teams from around the world a chance to show their mettle. The challenge was a great success as teams competed for prizes of 35 000 Euros worth of extrication tools. The overall

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Interschutz 2015 winners were the Irish Meath County Team earning them the biggest prize, a 20 000 Euro tool set. MSA

Specialist PPE manufacturer, MSA, exhibited its extensive range of structural fire fighting and technical rescue products, which included self-contained breathing apparatus, thermal imaging cameras, fire helmets and portable gas detection equipment. Of note were the new Gallet F1XF fire helmet and the G1 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which integrates modern technology into a compact and easy-to-operate system. Also new was the Alpha Control 2 software, a full substitute for tally boards, the Altair family gas detectors with MSA Xcell sensors, the Evolution 6000TIC thermal imaging camera, the AirElite four hour closed circuit breathing apparatus and the Alpha FP fall protection harness and rescue belt for SCBA. TFT Task Force Tips TFT Task Force Tips’ newest product, the Impulse trigger valve system can now be integrated in to many of TFT’s fire fighting nozzles including Ultimatic and Midmatic automatic nozzles, Metro 0 and 1 fixed gallonage nozzles and the Midforce dual pressure automatic nozzles. Also new was the Hemisphere 1 890 litres per minute portable monitor and its Flex Clamp clamping mechanism. The Transformer PA1 and PA2 piercing nozzle systems were also launched alongside the 5 670 litres per minute Typhoon monitor and industrial nozzle with an oscillating boost valve and hydrant under monitor manifold, which manages multiple fire streams and water supply operations simultaneously. TFT’s Masterstream 1250 series also debut at Interschutz and is available in automatic, fixed flow and selectable gallonage systems.

DuPont Protection Technologies presented its leading DuPont Nomex heat and flame protection, DuPont Tyvek and DuPont Tychem chemical and biological apparel for the emergency response services at Interschutz 2015. DuPont Nomex 3DP fabric is made up of two layers, using an intelligent weaving structure. This patented flux technology consists of an inner layer of DuPont Kevlar and an outer layer of DuPont Nomex. Also launched was the DuPont Tychem ThermoPro, a single layer garment that offers triple-hazard protection from inorganic and organic chemical splash, flash fire and electric arc by combining the properties of Tychem fabric with the flame protection of Nomex fibre. The range of Tyvek and Tychem protective apparel are ideal for rescue and fire brigades that may be required to attend environmental clean-ups or disaster relief situations. FireDos

New from FireDos was its M12 monitor with a 180 metre projection and an impressive flow rate of 15 000 to 60 000 litres per minute. It is available in a remote control version. Also exhibited was the FireDos FD20 000-1-3 foam proportioner offering a maximum flow rate of 800 to 20 000 litres per minute at 16 bar with an adjustable proportioning rate of one or three percent. The FD20 000 is the first of its kind as it was redesigned in a vertical configuration for a petrochemical company based in South Africa. Lukas Hydraulik and Hurst

DuPont

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Interschutz 2015 New on the Lukas stand was the Lukas StrongArm E100 and LE100 portable hydraulic tools that can cut through 22mm rebar and 10mm chain and has a spreading distance of 184mm with door opener tips and 215mm with combi tips. Thanks to Lukas eDraulic, rescue workers are freed of power units and heavy hoses. The star grip allows intuitive operation in stress situations. The Hurst Jaws of Life SC 357 combination tool offers a cutting force of 380kN, able to cut through 32mm round steel with a spreading force of 1 003kN and spreading distance of 368mm. Its 48kN pulling force places it at the top of its class. The SC 357E2 uses a compact, single integrated design to house a tool that cuts and spreads, perfect for first responders who need to be ready to accomplish anything. Godiva

The new Godiva Prima vehicle mounted pumps from Hale Products are available in four capacity sizes ie 2 000, 3 000, 4 000 and 6 000 litres per minute at 10 bar pressure and 250 litres per minute at 40 bar for the high pressure stage. All the main system components are supplied in one integrated package - compressor, foam pump, mixing manifold and control panel, for cost efficient installation by the vehicle builder. A single stage, low pressure model is offered as well. The Prima pumps are also available with an integrated compressed air foam system. Designed for use with all Prima models, the system will deliver all the benefits of compressed air foam (CAFS) from one integrated package. Other exhibits included the PowerFlow 8/5 portable – twin lightweight portable pump, producing 800 litres per minute at five bar and is powered by 18hp Briggs and Stratton engine now with two discharge outlets. Akron Brass

Of interest on the Akron Brass stand was the ProVenger nozzles, the Revel LED scene light, the Matrix pressure governor and a 12 000 litres per minute monitor, the AeroMaster 12. The ProVenger nozzle range now includes a smaller 25mm inlet size. The expanded line of nozzles, in both the 25mm and 38mm sizes, are available in selectable gallonage for quick, flexible response and fixed gallonage for ease of training and strong, steady extinguishing power. The Revel LED scene light has a unique lighting pattern offering complete coverage of any scene combining both a flood and spot pattern with a patent pending optics design that will make the darkest corner bright as day with a powerful 14 000 lumens. Unique to the Revel is the ability to adjust the output from high to medium to low to meet the needs of your scene. The Matrix pressure governor detects discharge pump pressure and automatically responds to changes in the system. This intelligent system offers flexibility when combined with other Matrix controllers. The Matrix family allows for simple control of the apparatus pump system with immediate access to data and the ability to make changes quickly. The system is also compatible with Weldon’s Link2 wireless fleet management system and V-MUX multiplex system providing options for control and access to data that has never before been available in the industry. The AeroMaster12 monitor, available in 2016, is a compact lightweight 12 000 litres per minute monitor, offering superior straight-stream reach with a patent pending fog dispersal and foam performance. Programmable for stow and deploy positions, obstacle avoidance and auto oscillation, the AeroMaster12 is the ultimate tool for efficient fire fighting. Dräger

Dräger introduced the new Dräger FiRE (Fire fighting-RealityEducation), which includes the new mobile live fire training system FTS 8000. The new live fire training system Dräger FTS 8000 has been designed based on the training requirements, not the other way around and offers realistic live fire fighting training with training scenarios that build on each other. The Dräger HPS 7000 fire fighter’s helmet is in a class of its own thanks to its innovative, sporty and dynamic design, ergonomic fit and components making it a multifunctional system solution, providing optimum protection during every operation.

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Interschutz 2015 Resqtec

Resqtec launched its new electronic direct drive (EDD) direct from the motor to output force so no need for hydraulic fluids, pump, valves or seals. Simply direct from a compact, powerful and efficient motor that drives a screw piston allowing full control over its speed. Resqtec also demonstrated its total rescue solution concept, displayed its new X Series spreader range and launched the new vehicle stabilisation and ventilation system.

Bullard launched a number of thermal imagers including the Eclipse LDX and T3X models. Both use infrared engine technology running at an ultra-fast 60 Hertz image update rate and incorporate image contrast enhancement (ICE) technology for the ultimate image performance in fire conditions. The new Bullard Magma helmet system is based on a platform that enables the user to configure his/her individual helmet. Whether a type A half-shell helmet or type B three-quarter-shell helmet, the construction kit offers it all, while keeping the design thoroughly consistent. The system allows for customised choices without compromising comfort, safety and functionality. The new H1500 fire fighting helmet is distinguishable from the original DIN helmet with its classic shell shape and is lighter than the H3000. Magirus

Scott Safety

Scott Safety’s X380 thermal imager powered by ISG Technology provides fire fighters with an unrivalled level of situational awareness. It’s undisputed superior image quality, plus exclusive image enhancements, provide fire fighters with the ability to fully interpret a fire scene and make better, safer, tactical decisions. The X380’s unique hot spot tracker enables fire fighters to immediately identify high-risk areas in the floor or ceiling or to locate the seat of the fire. The X380 provides super-clear image clarity, high-resolution imagery and full-size LCD.

Magirus exhibited its extensive range of fire engines, turntable ladders, rescue vehicles, ARFFs, mobile command centres, special fire fighting units including the Magirus AirCore , FRAPs (fire, rescue, ambulance, personnel), components and its combination aerial rescue and fire fighting vehicles. Darley

Bullard

New from Darley was the PSRH1500 single stage, centrifugal pump, which offers a PTO driven three gear gearcase for fitment on pumpers, pumper tanker, rescue pumper and tankers. Flow rates are 5 678 litres per minute at 10,3 bar; 3 974 litres per minute at 13,8 bar and 2 839 litres per minute at 17,2 bar.

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Interschutz 2015 Ramfan

They can be set back from 1,8m to 9,7m to allow safe ingress and egress. Ramfan also offers legacy fans without PowerStream. These can be placed directly in the opening for close quarters work. For larger structure fires the affordable alternative to enormous truck-mounted blowers is Ramfan’s large structure ventilators (LSVs). The VX700 delivers massive 102 000m³ air power at setbacks up to 9m. The VX700 is a mobile unit that only needs one operator.

Ramfan exhibited its range of positive pressure ventilators (PPVs) and blowers including the GX gas-powered and EX electric PPV blowers with PowerStream, a proprietary engineering design that concentrates and directs air. It focuses airflow so fans don’t have to be placed directly in an opening.

Next Interschutz It really is impossible to provide a comprehensive overview of the rather overwhelming technology, products and vehicles exhibited at Interschutz. The best we can offer is a pictorial and we hope to see you there in 2020. It well worth the visit! The next Interschutz will be held on 15 to 20 June 2020, Hanover, Germany, which will be co-staged with the 29th German Fire Fighting Convention. See you there!

The following is a pictorial of Interschutz 2015

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Interschutz 2015

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Interschutz 2015

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Interschutz 2015

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Interschutz 2015

Holmatro’s Extrication Challenge at Interschutz 2015

special edition of the Holmatro Rescue Experience was held at the Interschutz exhibition in Germany: The €35 000 Extrication Challenge in which 29 teams from 16 countries participated, all of whom tested their skills in vehicle extrication in front of a crowd of hundreds at the event itself and thousands who watched the livestream on the internet around the world. Team challenge All teams were assessed in three areas: incident command, technical tool operation and medical care. Each team was given 20 minutes to extricate a live ‘patient’ from a simulated road traffic collision. The four assessors, who came from Germany, South Africa, Australia and the Republic of Ireland, debriefed each team following their challenge and provided positive and learning points. Holmatro was fortunate that, because of their strategic partnerships with Opel and Renault, new vehicles were used in the pits. This offered an additional challenge to the teams due to the presence of new car construction and technology.

Holmatro’s Extrication Challenge proved very popular

Meath County Fire and Rescue Service from the Republic of Ireland

Despite this being a challenge and not a competition, there was inevitably a winning team. Meath County Fire and Rescue Service from the Republic of Ireland took the first prize and were crowned champions of The Inaugural Holmatro Extrication Challenge 2015. In addition to the honour, they also won a Holmatro extrication tools set worth €20 000. The Best Technical Team went to Bombers Generalitat Granollers from Spain and they walk away with €10 000 of Holmatro extrication tools. Something a little different for the event was the Best Team Spirit Award. The team who won this had never competed before, was very young, had only trained as a team on three occasions and during their isolation (period before competing) they nearly left due to nerves. They showed true spirit by performing very well and finishing in the top half out of 29 Volume 3 | No 8

The German Rescue Ladies

teams. Not only did they perform well but they now want to compete again. The award deservedly went to the German Rescue Ladies. They also took home €5 000 of Holmatro extrication tools. This women’s only extrication team really demonstrated true spirit.

In addition to the awards above, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Team was awarded ‘Best Medic’ and Meath County, as well as taking the first prize also had the ‘Best Incident Commander’ in their team. FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 15

Interschutz 2015

Toughest Fire Fighter Alive 2015 - Germany

he Toughest Fire Fighter Alive championships were developed in the United States and is a high-octane mix of head-to-head competition, sports and entertainment. It puts the contestants through a series of individual challenges, pushing them to their limits and beyond and leaving the spectators in absolutely no doubt as to just how gruelling fire callouts can be. Contestants are required to wear full turn out gear including Scott Safety selfcontained breathing apparatus, face mask and helmet. 203 contestants from around the world participated including eight South Africans. South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s results Men under 30 (87 competitors) Simiso Gumede, eThekwini Municipality - 12th Arno van lill, City of Cape Town - 73rd Men 30 to 34 (32 competitors) Emile Conrad, Eden District Municipality - 8th Ryan Abrahams, City of Cape Town - 13th Men 35 to 39 (32 competitors) Manie Gouws, West Rand District Municipality - 3rd Rudi van der Bergh, City of Cape Town - 17th Charles Bishop, eThekwini Municipality - 24th 16 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

Proudly South African!

Men 45 to 49 (18 competitors) Russel van Deventer, Mangaung Municipality - 9th Team challenge (31 teams) Team SA1 - 12th Team SA2 - 9th The Germans treated the South Africans with great respect and hospitality and made quite a fuss about them being the team that travelled the farthest. Unfortunately, Chimpy (Arnold van Lill) contracted bronchitis and was unable to complete the course. FRI congratulates the South African Team! What team spirit and camaraderie!

The winner is Lukas Novak

Times Name

Total

Manie Gouws

1:53

1:47

1:29

2:27

7:36

Emile Conrad

1:21

1:34

1:20

3:45

8:00

Simiso Gumede

2:11

1:50

1:31

3:00

8:32

Ryan Abrahams

1:44

1:56

3:50

9:26

Russel van Deventer

2:49

2:39

2:12

3:40

11:20

Rudi van der Bergh

1:59

1:48

1:28

8:00

13:15

Charles Bishop

1:51

8:00

1:37

8:00

19:28

Arnold van Lill

1:40

3:19

10:00

24:59

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News

Tianjin: worst disaster for first responders in recent Chinese history

The first explosion registered as a magnitude 2.3 earthquake

he Tianjin port explosion in China has been one of world’s deadliest for fire fighters... ever. Chinese authorities ended the search for the remaining eight missing in a massive chemical warehouse explosion in August, setting the final death toll at 173 in China’s worst industrial disaster in years. Eight people remain missing. The eight include five fire fighters, underscoring the explosion’s status as the worst ever disaster for Chinese first responders, more than 100 of whom were killed, including police officers. Among fire fighters, a total of 104 were killed, the deadliest incident for Chinese fire fighters since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Many of them were teenagers, some as young as 17. The announcement on the Tianjin city government’s microblog said there was no hope of finding the eight people and the court issued death certificates. “After thorough investigations by all parties, it is certain that there is no possibility of survivors,” said the statement, posted on 11 September 2015. As of 12 September 2015, the official casualty report was 173 deaths, eight missing and 797 non-fatal injuries. Incident A series of explosions occurred at a container storage station at the Port of Tianjin starting on Wednesday, 18 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

12 August 2015. The first two explosions occurred within 30 seconds of each other at the facility, which is located in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin, China. Fires caused by the initial explosions continued to burn uncontrolled throughout the weekend, repeatedly causing secondary explosions. Eight additional explosions occurred on Saturday, 15 August 2015. Over 1 000 fire fighters and 143 fire trucks were dispatched to the scene. Chinese state media reported that the initial blast was at a plant warehouse owned by Ruihai Logistics, a firm specialising in handling hazardous materials. The warehouse building is recorded in a 2014 government document as being a hazardous chemical storage facility for calcium carbide, sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. Safety regulations requiring that public buildings and facilities should be at least one kilometre away were not followed. The authorities stated that poor record keeping, damage to the office facilities and “major discrepancies” with customs meant that they were unable to identify the substances stored. Explosions The first reports of a fire at a warehouse in the Binhai New Area began coming in at around 22h50 local time on 12 August 2015. The first responders were unable to keep the fire from spreading. Fire fighters who first arrived on the scene proceeded to douse the fire with water as they Volume 3 | No 8

News were unaware that dangerous chemicals were stored on the site, thereby setting in motion a series of more violent chemical reactions. At around 23h30, the first explosion occurred and registered as a magnitude 2.3 earthquake. Initial reports estimate that the first explosion was equivalent to three ton of TNT. Shortly after, a second more powerful one occurred, causing most of the damage and injuries with shock-waves felt many kilometres away. The second explosion has been estimated to be equivalent to 21 ton of TNT. The resulting fireballs reached hundreds of meters high. Around 11h40 on 15 August, a series of eight explosions occurred in the port as fire from the original blasts continued to spread. The scale of the explosions was large enough to be photographed from space by the Japanese satellite Himawari. Damage Photographs and videos showed extensive destruction in and around the warehouse compound, with a massive crater at the blast site. The buildings of seven more surrounding logistics companies were destroyed and large quantities of intermodal container stacks have been toppled and thrown by the forces of the explosions. More than eight thousand new cars from Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Renault, and Toyota, parked in lots located near the blast site, have been largely burned as a result

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A fire fighter who was missing for 31 hours was found alive in the rubble of the initial explosions. Multiple buildings surrounding the blast site have been called “structurally unsafe”. Apartment blocks in a two-kilometre radius of the site sustained shattered glass, loss of roof tiles and damage to ceilings – with 17 000 units being affected. Nearby Donghai Road Station suffered severe damage as a result of the explosions and is closed indefinitely, as has the rest of Line 9 of the Tianjin Metro since 13 August. A Japanese department store four kilometres away reported damage to walls and ceilings. The explosions also affected the National Supercomputing Centre of Tianjin several kilometres away,

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News Aftermath and emergency response The morning following the explosion military personnel began to arrive in Tianjin to help with the search and recovery efforts. Extra equipment, such as bulldozers, was brought in to help with the clean-up operation. Over 200 nuclear and biochemical experts, including a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency, began arriving in Tianjin to assess the health risks from the chemicals being released into the atmosphere. Government personnel set up twelve temporary monitoring stations near the blast site with above normal levels of “harmful air pollutants” being detected. A nearby drainage outlet was also closed and water quality tested. A fire fighter inspects a destroyed fire truck knocking out windows and causing some internal ceilings to collapse; the supercomputer itself was not damaged. Cause In addition to vast quantities of sodium cyanide and calcium carbide, 800 ton of ammonium nitrate and 500 ton of potassium nitrate were found, according to local reports. On 17 August, the deputy director of the public security bureau’s fire department told CCTV, “Over 40 kinds of hazardous chemicals [were stored on site]. As far as we know, there were ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate. According to what we know so far, all together there should have been around 3 000 ton.” Ammonium nitrate, which is principally used in manufacturing fertiliser, has been implicated in a number of other fatal industrial explosions. A fire department spokesman confirmed that fire fighters had used water in combating the initial fire, which may have led to water being sprayed on calcium carbide, releasing the highly volatile gas acetylene. This may have detonated the ammonium nitrate. At least 700 tons of highly toxic sodium cyanide was stored at the site; 70 times the legal limit. Sodium cyanide leakage has been reported in the sewer. On 13 August, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, all of which are toxic, were detected within 500m of the origin of the explosion but the levels conformed to the national standards. The government maintained that gases were undetectable two kilometres from the site during initial testing on 14 August.

At 14h30 on 13 August, fire fighting was suspended due to the uncertainty of the content and quantity of hazardous materials being stored on site. The team of chemical specialists was deployed to assess the hazardous materials on site and dangers to the environment and to determine the best way to put out the remaining fires and proceed with search and rescue and clean-up operations. On 13 August, rescue personnel were dispatched in an attempt to remove the 700 ton of sodium cyanide believed to be stored at the site, with hydrogen peroxide being prepared to neutralise the chemicals. Initially, more than 3 500 area residents were staying in temporary shelters, however, as of 15 August, this number has grown to more than 6 000. The government issued an evacuation order over concerns of further explosions; not all residents complied. On 15 August, local authorities ordered the evacuation of residents within a three-kilometre radius of the blast site, prompted by the threat of “toxic substances”, including sodium cyanide. Technicians have detected levels of cyanide as much as 356 times the safe level within a three-kilometre-radius of the evacuated area, although no abnormal contamination was found outside the area. Fire fighters Tianjin Fire Department head Zhou Tian said at a news conference that the explosions occurred just as reinforcements had arrived on the scene and were just

With the first rains after the initial explosions, coming on 18 August, white chemical foam covered the streets. Citizens complained of burning sensations and rashes on sensitive skin parts after coming into contact with rain droplets. However, meteorologists sought to reassure the public that the rain was not directly harmful to health, whilst the Environment Protection Board advised against exposure to the rain due to traces of cyanide dust reacting with water. Thousands of dead sticklebacks washed up on the banks six kilometres from the explosion site on 20 August, fuelling fears of water contamination. Officials downplayed the fears, saying that there were not high levels of cyanide in the river and that the fish likely died due to oxygen depletion in the water. 20 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

Soldiers on a PLA chemical-defence unit work to neutralise sodium cyanide residue Volume 3 | No 8

Strap getting to work. “There was no chance to escape and that’s why the casualties were so severe,” the fire head said. “We’re now doing all we can to rescue the missing.” Fire fighters from the Tianjin Port Group, a governmentbureau-turned state-owned company that serves as the main operator of the port of Tianjin, were the first to arrive at the scene and hosed down the blaze with water, which caused more blasts. The blasts took place after rescue work continued for around an hour. Several fire fighters of the company who were treated in hospital told the Beijing News that they did not know the fire was caused by chemicals. But rather than dying down when they wet it, the fire “became bigger and bigger,” one told the newspaper. Fire fighters said they were barely trained to use foam and sand though the two are a must in dealing with chemical fires. Chinese officials ordered fire fighters on the scene to halt rescue work around ten hours after the explosions. Military personnel specialising in handling nuclear and biochemical materials were sent to the site and the fire fighters switched to using foam and sand. More than 40 hours after the explosions began, all the fires were put out. China has a three-tier fire fighting system. The country has 130 000 official, national fire fighters, who are controlled by the Ministry of Public Security. Local governments and public institutions also have fire fighters. And finally, businesses that have a high risk of fire are also obliged to set up fire fighting teams. Those include businesses that produce or store inflammable or explosive goods (like Tianjin Port Group), according to China’s fire protection law. Despite the three-tier system, China has less than 0,2 fire fighters per 1 000 residents, far below the average number for developing countries of 0,3 to 0,5, the Beijing News noted. The US has around 3,6 fire fighters per 1 000 residents, according to date from the National Fire Protection Association (note: the US figures include a large number of volunteers). Top-tier fire fighters of the state public security ministry, who usually serve for just two years, enjoy the same status as police officers. Some of those funded by local governments and government-owned businesses also are treated as civil servants, with the same perks and often robust training. They are referred to in China as “in the system” fire fighters. But most of the second and third tiers are not “in the system” and often are not full employees, just contract workers. These include the fire fighters of the Tianjin Port Group. The state-owned company hired 240 contract fire fighters, though they report to the public security bureau of Tianjin, Caixin reported. Caixin said those fire fighters are always the first to respond to an alarm in the Tianjin Port, though they are less professionally-trained than public security ministry fire fighters. “They are a bit similar to migrant workers,” an anonymous person at the public security Volume 3 | No 8

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News Strap

Launch of new South African postage stamps in honour of fire fighters

t a media event held in Bedfordview, Ekurhuleni, the South African Post Office together with the Southern African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI) launched the new series of postage stamps, honouring the fire fighting profession in South Africa. The set of eight stamps reflects some of the activities of fire fighters and was illustrated by Jaco Botha, a graphic design student at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).

Moshema Mosia was presented with a set of the stamps in a display frame

bureau of the Tianjin port told China Newsweek (link in Chinese). When the company needs people, “they hire” them, the person said, “the younger the better.” According to the country’s fire department, China’s businesses had hired around 65 000 fire fighters at the end of 2013, known as “enterprise funded” fire fighters. Of those, nearly 37 000 are contractors, without full time employment benefits. Contract fire fighters also account for the majority of fire fighting crews in city or village level governments. China has a total of 113 110 contract fire fighters, nearly the total of the country’s 130 000 public security ministry fire fighters. These contract workers reportedly don’t stay in the job long thanks to low payment, lack of promotion and great danger. “A large gap in public security fire fighters on active service and a severe loss in contract-based fire fighting crews— these are the two biggest problems China’s fire service system is facing,” an expert at the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force Academy told the Beijing News.

Johan Pieterse of City of Tshwane Emergency Services, who was instrumental in the project that

Media, censorship and propaganda Tianjin authorities banned editors and reporters from sharing information about the disaster on Weibo and WeChat, and websites were ordered to follow state media. The Tianjin internet police warned social media users to use only official casualty figures. A great deal of specific information on the event, including the majority of early stage video was first released over social media sites. Major media has drawn heavily from social media sources, greatly widening the audience. The Economist noted, “Social media fills in the blanks left by official narratives of the Tianjin disaster. The most remarkable feature of the aftermath of the explosions in Tianjin, in northern China, has been the extraordinary contrast between the official reaction to the crisis, which has been profoundly flawed and the online reaction, which has entirely dominated the agenda.” The State Council ordered inspections of all businesses using dangerous chemicals and explosives across the country.

A mother of a missing fire fighter told state-run digital publication, The Papers, that her son was paid around 4 000 yuan (approximately $626) per month, about double the lowest wage in Tianjin. It is still not clear how many of these contract workers were deployed to the blast site but what is clear is they paid a heavy price.

The Chinese police have taken ten top executives of Ruihai Logistics into custody. The cause of the disaster is still under investigation, although state media reports say the warehouse storing sodium cyanide and other dangerous chemicals was located too close to residential areas and may have obtained falsified safety approvals.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said families of the deceased official fire fighters and contract counterparts will be given the same compensation when he visited injured fire fighters on 16 August 2015. “They are all heroes,” Li said.

Disclaimer The death toll figures in this report have been taken from official reports. The ban on any other reports is still in place at the time of publishing.

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Strap News included Sandra du Rand, City of Ekurhuleni Emergency Services and Ofentse Masibi, president of the South African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI), said, “I am proud to stand here after 35 years of service and to see this two-year project to fruition.” City of Ekurhuleni’s Moshema Mosia provided background information on the project and said, “I’m glad to be part of this product. It is an honour to leave a tradition for our children.” Ofentse Masibi, president of SAESI, reminisced on past major fires, highlighting the recent Cape fires and the tragic loss of life of two Johannesburg fire fighters in a structural fire. Masibi also reminded all of the upcoming SAESI conference, which will take place in November at NASREC, Johannesburg. Masibi quoted Edward Croker, “I have no ambition in this world but one and that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the fireman has to do believe that his is a noble calling. Our proudest moment is to save lives. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even of supreme sacrifice.” Dino Padayachee, incoming president of SAESI, said, “ It is the first time ever in South African history that stamps commemorate

Ofentse Masibi, Jaco Botha and Geert Bataille

Previn Govender, Teresa Geldenhuys, Johan Pieterse, Ofentse Masibi and Dino Padayachee our fire fighters and profession. We are not heroes. Ask any fire fighter. We are just doing our job.” He thanked all involved in the

project with special mention to Sandra du Rand as the first female acting fire chief in the country, Ofentsi Mashibi for steering the project, Johan Pieterse who was only 17 when he became a fire fighter, Theresa Geldenhuys ‘’n boer maak ‘n plan’ and the many others who assisted in the realisation of this project. Each stamp sheet will cost R26-40 ie R3-30 per stamp (standard postage). Only 20 000 stamp sheets were printed and will be available at select post offices nationally. The stamps can be ordered online at www.virtualpostoffice.co.za or you can send an email to sastamps@postoffice.co.za.

Julia Manavhela, Teresa Geldenhuys, Monica Rudolph, Sandra du Randt and Mmama Phalatse

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This edition of Fire and Rescue International was posted using the special edition fire fighting stamps. FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 23

News

South Africans tour Rosenbauer state-of-the-art facility in Austria

The new Rosenbauer plant in Leonding, Austria

ustrian fire fighting vehicle manufacture, Rosenbauer, put its new state-of-the-art production line in Leonding in operation in April 2014. Fire and Rescue International had the rare opportunity to visit the facilities in Austria on a guided tour through both plants. Klaus Hörschlager, Rosenbauer’s regional vice president for international sales and Michael von der Heyde, marketing manager for Rosenbauer South Africa, accompanied a group of South Africans on the guided tour through the new assembly Plant II in Leonding and Rosenbauer Plant I, which houses the components and parts manufacturing plant. Founded in 1866 in Linz as a fire service equipment trading house, the Rosenbauer Group has production facilities on three continents ie Europe, North America and Asia. The Rosenbauer Group headquarters is located in Plant I Leonding, Austria. It is also the competence centre for special vehicles for industrial and professional fire services, extinguishing systems and equipment. The Leonding plant II was put into production in April 2014 and boasts a revolutionary new production set-up in line with the latest standards.

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Leonding plant II The new site is just three kilometres from the group headquarters in Leonding and has a footprint of around 52 000m² with a hall area of approximately 15 000m² as well as about 5 000m² of office space. More than €12 million were invested in 2013 and 2014 in the new plant, in which nearly 325 employees are employed.

In addition, we have been able to completely reshape our production. Intensive competition demands technical solutions that facilitate the faster manufacture of top quality fire service vehicles. With this extremely modern plant, we have already set the stage for a continuation of our business success in the hotly contested, international fire industry market.”

The cornerstone of the new Plant II in Leonding are two newly synchronised production lines for Rosenbauer’s Panther airport rescue and fire fighting (ARFFs) vehicles and for its AT municipal vehicles. This state-of the-art production facility is designed for the annual production of around 150 Panther ARFFs and 250 AT municipal fire trucks in oneshift operation, although this capacity can be raised using shift models. Assembly takes place in accordance with the industrial standards of the automotive and engineering industries and all processes are synchronised. The first vehicles from the new production lines were completed just a few days after start-up in April 2014.

Sequenced line production in spite of small batches and vehicle diversity Assembly on both the main lines takes place at defined stations and in accordance with an established sequence. The vehicles and superstructures are moved automatically from one station to the next on rails and signals indicate the start of the next cycle. Assembly takes place in line with the flow principle, material supply according to the Kanban and pull principles. In addition, the working sequences have been systematically oriented towards the value flow concept and all the working processes and interfaces revised. Accordingly, the employees have also been provided with the necessary specialist, procedural and methodological competences.

The Plant II Leonding provides an increase of around 60 percent in the production floor space available at the Leonding location. Dr Dieter Siegel, the Rosenbauer International AG Chairman explained, “We have thus obtained the room that we urgently required.

The Panther assembly consists of six stations for the 6x6 and 4x4 models and following a short run-up phase is now completed in a two-day rhythm. The pre-prepared chassis is carried on Volume 3 | No 8

News a transport wagon from one assembly station to the next. Adjacent to the main line is a four-station, cabin line and two separate short assembly lines, each with three stations for special types and Panthers requiring specific equipment, two assembly workstations for 8x8 trucks and three finishing work stations. In June 2014, the production of chassis for the 6x6 and 4x4 models also commenced in Plant II on a sequenced line. The assembly of the Rosenbauer AT municipal fire trucks takes place in a one-day sequence via thirteen workstations, whereby as opposed to the Panther line, only the superstructure without the chassis is transported. The marriage between the superstructure and the chassis takes place in the final working cycle and then the vehicles receive their payload and are started up at various workstations. Leonding Plant I Leonding Plant one has been changed over to specialise in manufacturing of parts for the assembly line in Plant II. It boasts numerous CNC machining centres, bending machines and various other leading-edge equipment manufacturing centres.

Klaus Hörschlager detailing the history of Rosenbauer

Comments post tour Markus Lutz, station commander at West Coast District Municipality, who participated in the factory tour said, “Having worked for the fire department for many years, I am always interested to see how products we use daily are being manufactured. I have, in the past, visited manufacturers of rescue equipment but this was the first opportunity to visit a world-renowned vehicle manufacturing company such as Rosenbauer. “

Lutz added, “I was amazed to see the production line at the factory. Similar to a motor vehicle production line, the fire truck components start its journey on one side and exit eight hours later on the other side as a completed fire truck. Between phase one and the finish line of the ARFF production line, the sub frame is manufactured, electrical wiring installed, plumbing added, lockers fitted, double cab added, lighting installed and finally the marriage

The Panther cab assembly line

The Panther super structure assembly line

A Panther after marriage between cab and super structure

An AT in production

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News

The prime movers on the AT production line

The AT finishing line

A place for everything and everything in its place

Parts movement is fully automated

Parts storage at Leonding plant I

One of the many CNC machining centres at Leonding plant I

between the chassis and the super structure is completed.” “The plant’s modular system ensures that each fire truck can be manufactured as per client’s specifications and can accommodate their respective wishes. A quality control system ensures a complete ‘paper trail’ (accountability) of the various manufacturing processes,” said Lutz. “It was evident that each employee identifies themselves with the final product and carries the name Rosenbauer proudly on their workwear. This was especially clear when watching the manufacturing process where it can be seen how precise and professional they work together as a 26 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

team. It was clear why Rosenbauer is one of the top manufactures of fire fighting vehicles, not just in Europe but in the world,” concluded Lutz. Rhine Barnes, chief fire officer, Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, said, “Coming from a nuclear environment where we focus heavily on safety and quality, I was looking forward to my visit to both the Rosenbauer plant in Linz, Austria, as well as Karlsruhe, Germany where the new Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Turntable Ladder Pumper had been built.” “My first impression on arriving at Rosenbauer Linz was a very well established and respected organisation with clean modern

facilities. We saw a great variety of vehicles being assembled, from industrial pumpers to light-weight pumps as well 6x4 and 8x8 Panthers, rescue vehicles and many more.” “We spent the first part of the visit sitting in an informative and insightful overview presentation of Rosenbauer, its history, philosophy and goals. One came away from the presentation with a sense of the pride that the employees had in their organisation,” continued Barnes. “We were then taken on a tour of the production facilities and I was not disappointed. The facilities were clean and organised and as mentioned, coming from a nuclear background, Volume 3 | No 8

News I looked at issues such as quality during the various steps of the vehicle construction process. This included hold and witness points in the various stages of the process. I also looked at the aspect of safety because, in my opinion, a safe working environment allows the worker to focus on the quality side of the business and here again, I was not disappointed. Besides the safety notices placed at strategic points, I could not detect an unsafe working practice anywhere in the plant. Housekeeping, materials and equipment were always well maintained. Another interesting point was that each workstation’s well-equipped tool supply was openly displayed on a tool board at the work station and there was not a lock in sight,” he added. Barnes continued, “The many employees that I saw were simply getting on with the job. There was no shouting of instruction or loud exchanges between workers. They simply went about their business. This did not surprise me though; I had been told that the majority of Rosenbauer’s employees were also volunteer fire fighters who served in the fire stations protecting their local communities.” “What also impressed me was that

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at each stage of the construction process, the employee was always aware of who the customer was of the vehicle was and what was unique to that vehicles specification and design and even though there were many vehicles on the assembly line and although they were similar, each one was designed specifically around a particular customer’s needs or specifications. There was no waiting for materials at work stations, when the vehicle arrived at the assembly point in the production line, every component needed for its assemble at that point, was already on hand.” “I left the Linz plant with a feeling that this was company that cared about their customers and the various demands that these customers make. They care about their employees and the families of the employees. They often organised family activities and there was a modern and fully equipped day care centre at the plant where employees could leave their children in the knowledge that they were being well looked after.” “Here was company, with high morals, excellent quality and steeped in history with more than 100

years of experience in building fire appliances and I was glad that I had the opportunity to spend some time there,” Barnes concluded. Barry Ward, member, Unipower Specialised Vehicle Body Builders, Natal said, “As a customer of Rosenbauer equipment, James George and I valued the opportunity and were very grateful to be hosted at their plants in Leonding after Interschutz 2015. Klaus Hörschlager and Michael von der Heyde gave us a comprehensive tour of their facilities.” Ward added, “The new assembly facility was clean, well laid out with a continuous staged production process and parts supply chain. It was good to see the attention to detail around the ‘man’ ie ergonomics, quality tools and green areas ensuring best operator performance. “ Greg and Lance Tempest, owners of Tempest Fire situated in Johannesburg, said it was a mindblowing experience to see the Rosenbauer plant in action. “What an incredible operation. You can see why Rosenbauer is number one in the world!” said Lance Tempest.

Bending centre

The engineering/drawing room

Component finishing line

Components assembly line FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 27

News

Children of Fire visited by Chubb Fire, FPASA and Brixton Fire

he children of Children of Fire were recently treated to a demonstration on the correct use of fire extinguishers at their premises in Auckland Park, South Africa. The event, sponsored

by Chubb and facilitated by The Fire Protection Association of South Africa (FPASA), aimed to further educate the children in an ongoing fire safety awareness campaign. Pieter Potgieter of FPASA demonstrated to the children various methods of extinguishing fires, starting with an ordinary garden hose. Potgieter let the children try dousing the controlled fires by themselves, resulting in much laughter and children spraying each other with water. Each child in turn successfully put out the fire, which was then relit. The demonstration of a CO2 extinguisher then followed. The children, although initially startled by the strong blast from the extinguisher, soon got used to it and more successful amateur fire fighting ensued.

Trying the helmet on for size 28 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

The final demonstration was of a dry chemical powder (DCP) extinguisher, which, after all their earlier practice, the children handled expertly. Potgieter explained the benefits and disadvantages of each method of fire extinguishing.

City of Johannesburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brixton Fire Department also visited the children. Their fire engine arrived with lights flashing and sirens blaring much to the delight of the kids. They were allowed to climb onto the engine and had pictures taken with the fire fighters. Chubb also sponsored a jumping castle and party packs for the children, although Bronwyn Jones, founder of Children of Fire, cautioned the children against too many sweets before lunch. Children of Fire is a charity organisation working with burn survivors in South Africa and across the continent, providing medical advice and assistance to disadvantaged children in urban and rural communities that would otherwise not receive adequate medical treatment. The charity regularly coordinates awareness campaigns to educate impoverished communities about fire safety. Volume 3 | No 8

News

Robin Fortuin wins

Centrum Guardians 2015

he winner of Centrum Guardians 2015 is Robin Fortuin. He received R5 000 as well as specialised training and his base station received R60 000. The other three worthy 2015 finalists were Cynthia Maqungu, Michael Callow and The Structural Collapse 100-crew rescue team. Maqungu is a reservist fire fighter for Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Emergency Services who saved three people from a burning shack at Ramaphosa informal settlement. She works with the Public Information, Education and Relations (PIER) group who are trained to assist in informal settlement emergencies. Callow is an advanced life support (ALS) Paramedic for Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Emergency Services. He was instrumental in saving the lives of

Robin Fortuin with Ruda Landman

Potgieter explained the benefits and disadvantages of each method of fire extinguishing

The children loved the bubbles in their goodie bags provided by Chubb Volume 3 | No 8

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News Strap

Ruda Landman congratulates Cynthia Maqungu

Michael Callow with EMPD officers Steenberg and Liesering

one innocent bystander and two metro police officers after a bloody shootout. The 100 man rescue crew is made up of members of the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Emergency Services, West Rand District Municipality Emergency Service, Rescue South Africa, South African Police Services K9 Search and Rescue, University of Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Riga

Rescue (K9 search and rescue), Chris Hani Baragwanath trauma doctor and anaesthetists, ER24 and Off Road Rescue Unit (ORRU). This incredible team of rescue personnel worked tirelessly for over 24 hours, amid tons of fallen concrete, steel beams, exposed rebar and jagged rubble to save five lives. Robin Fortuin During the middle of the afternoon on Sunday, 1 December 2013, the

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Strandfontein volunteer sea rescue duty crew, rescue swimmer Robin Fortuin and senior coxswain Vaughn Seconds, conducted a routine patrol of the beaches on the False Bay coast. The crews check the beaches during the high season in order to make contact with the lifeguards, check radio frequencies in case of an emergency and monitor bathing

The Structural Collapse 100-crew rescue team

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Strap News activity. It also gives the NSRI volunteer crew a good perspective of beach conditions and visitor numbers. At Monwabisi Beach at around 13h55, the crew saw three men caught in a rip current and they were being swept out to sea. Seconds took up a position on an elevated lookout point while Fortuin grabbed a rescue torpedo buoy before using the strong rip current to aid his swim. Fortuin reached them some 250 metres out to sea and gave the first man his torpedo buoy before swimming further out to the second casualty whilst towing the first man behind him. On the shore, the law enforcement officers took over the two exhausted casualties. Fortuin immediately scouted the rip current and re-entered the sea at the point where the current would take him to the third casualty who had by now drifted some 350 metres out into the sea. Fortuin reached the man and was able to swim him out quickly. Seconds explained that he instinctively wanted to return to the base in order to gear up and get a boat out to the Monwabisi Beach. On their way out, and at a last glance, they saw that there were more swimmers in trouble. Four men were swept out to sea by the strong rip current. Fortuin, again, swam after the four men. The NSRI Strandfontein base crew as well as Western Cape Government Department of Health Emergency Services were activated. The weather conditions on the beach had deteriorated and despite the hot and sunny weather there was a strong wind causing three-metre swells. Fortuin managed to reach the first casualty who was approximately 350 metres out to sea. He swam the casualty back to shore where law enforcement officers took over. He then went back in for the second casualty who was by now closer to 400 metres out to sea. He then went back in for the third victim and swam him out from roughly 400 metres. Again, law enforcement officers took the casualty from him. Fortuin went back in for the fourth man whilst keeping his eye on Seconds to ensure that he was swimming in the right direction of the casualty. The rough conditions Volume 3 | No 8

High angle rescue demonstration by K9 Search and Rescue

Multiple services cooperated in an extrication demonstration slowed him down. Seconds said that it looked as if the man was caught in the strong rip current and was being swept further out to sea, faster than Fortuin was swimming. In the meantime, Seconds received a report from his station that the rescue boat had to turn back. This was due to the severe weather conditions. The report also said that the crew were experiencing difficulty in getting the engine to run properly again and that the helicopter was busy on another call and would not be able to respond immediately. Fortuin did not know, but he was alone in the water. Seconds knew that Fortuinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim was to get to the casualty, keep him afloat in the

water and to wait for the backup crews. Seconds watched as the man was relentlessly battered by the waves. Approximately 25 metres away from the last casualty, Fortuin made eye contact with the man and could see that he was beyond exhausted. The man lifted up his arms in one last plea for help but shortly disappeared under the surf. Seconds said that it looked as if the man had given up. Fortuin did his best to swim towards the man but was unable to find him. Seconds then signalled for Fortuin to return to shore. Fortuin used his torpedo buoy to help him out towards the shore by throwing it in front of the swell; it FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 31

News Strap understanding that few people will comprehend in their lifetime.” Congratulations to Robin Fortuin! A reward well-deserved!

A joint effort to supress a controlled petrochemical fire dragged him towards the shore. He said that he may not have made it had it not been for his buoy. People on the shore helped him out and the medics gave him glucose to help him recover. Fortuin wanted to go back in, but Seconds refused, as he knew that without backup and his physical strength being sapped that he would be risking the life of his crewman. Shortly thereafter, the Western Cape Government Department of Health Emergency Services rescue squad and Ambulance, the Skymed Rescue Helicopter, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service, the South African Police Service and law enforcement arrived and a full-scale search started, but despite an extensive search no sign of the missing swimmer could be found. Seconds said that this was the first time he had feared for the life of one of his own in his 26 years of service in the NSRI and that given the history of that particular beach, dubbed the ‘beach of death’ by the media, that none of the casualties would have survived had it not been for Fortuin.

Those were questions that were running through his head. The station commander said he then realised that this young man’s life had been changed forever. The enormity of what he had singlehandedly accomplished on that day was too much for him to comprehend at that time… The bottom line is simply that on that day, he was instrumental in being a part of something that was infinitely larger than him. He gave everything that he had, to give seven people another chance at life. The seventh person unfortunately was not to be granted that gift for reasons that we will never truly understand. The station commander also said that Fortuin’s perspective has changed. “I believe that his appreciation for this gift of life reaches levels of

TV personality, Ruda Landman, announced the finalists at the Leon Ferreira fire station in Boksburg on 1 July 2015. Demonstrations of high angle rescue, extrication and gas bottle safety followed. Emergency services personnel from various disciplines were also invited to participate in exercises such as containing a petrochemical fire and experience flashover conditions. Over the last eight years, the project has profiled 53 finalists across various emergency disciplines such as medical, water, fire and rescue. Over 450 nominations were received and 3 362 lives were directly affected in the 53 finalist incidents. “For the last eight years, Centrum has been the very proud sponsor of this initiative. We have met many dedicated men and women who put their own lives at risk to save the lives of their fellow South Africans. We are constantly amazed at the modesty of the nominees and finalists when we ask how they were brave enough to run into burning buildings or swim into dark, stormy waters to save lives. We have a renewed respect for what it takes to be an emergency services member, whether they are a fire fighter, rescuer or paramedic,” said Natasha Macdonald, the Centrum brand manager.

Station commander Mario Fredericks said that Fortuin, 21 years old at the time of the rescue, had made contact with him on the evening of this rescue and said that he needed to talk about what had transpired. Despite the six people he had saved, he was beating himself up about the seventh casualty. “What could I have done differently? What if I didn’t take those few seconds to catch my breath and gather my strength?” 32 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

One of the well trained dogs of K9 Search and Rescue Volume 3 | No 8

News

New CFO for Breede Valley Fire and Rescue Service

By Neels de Klerk, station commander: fire safety, Breede Valley Fire, Rescue and Disaster Management Services

heo Botha was appointed as the new chief fire officer for the Breede Valley Fire and Rescue Service situated in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, on 1 August 2015. He had been in the acting chief fire officer capacity since 16 December 2014. CFO Botha joined Breede Valley Fire and Rescue Service in December 2010 as deputy chief fire officer. This appointment followed 20 years operational and managerial experience at City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue. Chief Botha’s qualifications include: National Diploma Fire Technology, Associate Diploma in Fire Technology, Btech Degree in business administration, ambulance emergency assistant, hazmat technician, rescue scuba diver, Class IV commercial diving supervisor, skipper and boat handler, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) fire service instructor and officer and MFMA. Over the past five years CFO Botha has led several change and improvement projects, supporting the Breede Valley Fire and Rescue Service in gaining sector and partner recognition as a high performing service. A service that embraces and delivers, wide reaching and varied community safety prevention and response services across the Breede Valley.

resources available to us and being responsive to the growth and changing needs of our community. It will also involve increased interaction and drills between the various emergency agencies and industries, synergised and harmonious relationships with other agencies, as well as ensuring that it is maintained and nurtured within the fire service,” he concluded. FRI congratulates Chief Botha on his appointment as chief fire officer of Breede Valley Fire Department!

CFO Theo Botha

“I am delighted and proud to be appointed as the chief fire officer for the Breede Valley Fire and Rescue Service,” said CFO Botha. “I look forward to leading this fantastic service over the coming years to ensure we continue to maintain and develop our communities’ safety prevention and intervention services for residents, businesses and visitors across the Breede Valley Municipality. I am looking forward to leading the staff complement of the Breede Valley Fire and Rescue Service into a new era, as we will be developing a third fire station that would be located in the town of De Doorns.” Chief Botha added, “I believe that the only way to ensure that the Breede Valley Fire Department (BVFD) remains the professional department it is, is through continued staff development, ensuring that staff is trained for every facet of this profession. Staff should also be aware of the advantages of obtaining accredited fire services qualifications, thereby contributing to their own career development and ensuring their inclusion in short listings for promotions within this department.” “My strategic plan will focus on utilising and developing staff to their fullest potential, maximising use of the Volume 3 | No 8

FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 33

News

SAESI 2015: Get your gear ready! the entry fee. If participants should be injured during the challenge, medical attention would be given but the organiser will not be held liable as it will be the responsibility of his employer and seen as injury on duty. There will be three extrication challenges. Complex rescue: Sufficient space will need to be created for medical assessment and intervention, with the casualties release/packaging reflective to their mechanism of injury. Teams are expected to triage the casualties and identify the medical priority for extrication. To achieve success teams should work within the full three phases of vehicle extrication rescue to affect a thorough release and removal of both casualties.

Photo credit: Fire on Line

he South African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI) will be holding its biennale conference from 1 to 6 November 2015. Various challenges form part of the conference. Here is what you can expect from the training events this year. Please note that in order to compete in the respective challenges, the two-day symposiums prior to the event must be attended as this will be the theory part with the challenge the practical side of things. The high angle rescue challenge The focus of the event will be on skills development and enhancing the high angle rescuer’s ability to improvise in adverse conditions. The high angle rescue challenge will comprise of a learning symposium and three scenarios. Each team will compete in all events. There will be no final. The final tally of marks achieved for the skins event and the three scenarios completed will result in a final placing of teams, with an overall winner. Teams will draw their exercise slot for the first scenario at the team captains briefing. The challenge is to not only compete but also to cooperate, share and learn. The extrication challenge Note the difference to the rules this year. A team will consist of six members: • One member will be designated team captain/leader. • One member will be designated team medic. • A team member can only participate in the event, upon approval of a principle manager from the organisation they are representing. A letter and/or insurance certificate confirming adequate coverage of the team will be required with payment of 34 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

Limited rescue: Teams are expected to assess the casualty and identify the correct pathway for extrication, whilst recognising the limitation of the tools available. To achieve success teams will need to work efficiently and manage all the resources at their disposal to complete extrication of all casualties within the available time frame. Medical emergency rescue (rapid): Teams are expected to recognise the immediate lifesaving needs of the casualty. To achieve success teams will need to demonstrate a balance between efficiency, safety and urgency to achieve the task within the prescribed time frame. Scenarios • The scenario challenges are based around simulated rescue scenarios or ‘evolutions’. • Teams will be briefed on the actual scenarios for each evolution on the day. • Times for completion of each evolution will be 45 minutes. There will be a maximum of two but preferably one evolution per team per day (depending on the amount of teams competing). • The following are generic descriptions of the five possible evolutions (each team will only get three). Specific scenario details will be provided during the briefing by judges immediately prior to commencement of each team’s evolution. • There will be intermediate and advanced categories and teams will have to provide all their own rescue, personal safety and emergency medical equipment. • The maximum time period during which a team must perform a given exercise will be 45 minutes in duration. Except in the rapid evacuation scenario, there it will be only 30 minutes. • The exercise time starts when a team enters the pit. As soon as the team enters the pit the scenario will be given to them (while the clock is running). The time ends either once the patient is placed in the area indicated by judges as the time-out location or at the end of the Volume 3 | No 8

HIB

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Teams must bring their own personal protective equipment (PPE), including medical gloves and eye protection, as well as jump packs. A list of equipment will be made available at a later stage. The fire fighter challenge Many of you have probably competed in this challenge before as hosted by South African Emergency Care (SAEC), so why not come and improve your time. • Do a stair climb of some four storeys up a makeshift obstacle, while carrying a hose; • Hoist a 21kg donut pack up the tower and then run down, not missing one step; • Hit a Keizer (hammer machine) with a 75kg slide, with a hammer; • Make your way around a series of cones; • Grab and run with a fully charged 32mm hose through a gate to spray down a target; and • And then finally drag an 80kg dummy dubbed Rescue Randy over 30m to the finish line. Whether you have or have not competed in these challenges before, this opportunity to have all the challenges together under one roof only comes around every two years so grab the opportunity, get your gear, and enter now! PIER training event The Public Information Emergency Response (PIER) training event and challenge will entail a theory session that will include fire and safety educator training with basic fire fighting skills and first aid. The practical training will take place at one of the Ekurhuleni fire stations that will be announced. All attendees will be trained on how to educate communities on: • Safe cooking • Lighting and dangers • Keeping warm without adding to the fire risk • Basic fire fighting skills All emergency management services (EMS) and disaster management personnel are invited to attend as well as any prospective reserve force members from the communities. Volume 3 | No 8

CONF

Emergency medical services (EMS) challenge The challenge will be open to all approved emergency services providers, and agreed rescue-based organisations. Teams will consist of three members and all should have permission from their respective managers. Live casualties and mannequins will be used in the challenge and marks will be awarded on casualty handling. The team will be assessed on: • Scene safety • Initial patient contact • Assessment of injuries and condition • Treatment of casualty • Patient handover

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designated exercise time. The timekeeper by means of an audible signal will indicate time-out. Live patients will be used for the scenarios.

ESI

2015

‘Building resilient communities’

SAESI presents its 30th CONFERENCE•EXHIBITION•TRAINING EVENTS to facilitate inter-agency engagement to build resilient communities. 1 to 6 November 2015 | Expo Centre, Nasrec, Johannesburg www.saesi2015.com

BE A DELEGATE AT THE CONFERENCE: The SAESI 2015 Conference will address the theme from three basic pillars: • Education • Risk management • Societal security BE AN EXHIBITOR AT THE EXHIBITION BE A VISITOR AT THE EXHIBITION: Following on the five yearly Interschutz Exhibitions in Hannover, Germany, exhibitors will be displaying as well as demonstrating the latest technology available. BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TRAINING EVENTS: • Fire Raiders vehicle extrication • High Angle • STAT EMS • SA Emergency Care Fireﬁghter Rescue Challenge

For more info and registration forms visit:

www.saesi2015.com TALK TO US

Mari 011-579-4940 / 082-418-3349 / mari@interactmedia.co.za Facebook: SAESIonline | Twitter: @SAESIOnline ORGANISER:

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Hazardous materials

Hazardous materials – explosives By Colin Deiner, Chief Director, Disaster Management and Fire Brigade Services, Western Cape Government

Rescue personnel search the damage to an apartment complex from the explosion of the West Fertiliser plant, Texas

he use of chemicals to enhance and improve life has become a globally accepted practice, it virtually goes without saying. Unfortunately, with the advantages comes the risk that many of these chemicals come. Most countries have developed standards for handling and transporting these chemicals and there are many protocols for responding to emergencies involving the wide range of hazardous chemicals in use all over the world. The toxic spill handled by a hazardous material (hazmat) unit from the New York Fire Department in Lower Manhattan will be no different from the toxic spill in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. The worldwide (sometimes uncontrolled) movement of hazardous materials many times results in a hazardous material with a specific risk profile ending up in a country with very different laws than the country it was manufactured and packaged in. We need to be able to identify these products, understand their risks and respond effectively to emergencies where they may be involved. This is the first article in series of nine dealing with the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (UNCOE). Classes of hazardous materials. In each of these I will attempt to delineate the risk and provide some thoughts on managing the incident. To keep you interested and allow me to address other 36 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

fire/rescue subjects we won’t do all of them in sequence but try to throw one in every two or three issues. As we know all hazardous materials are classified according to their particular properties. These classes are: • Explosives • Gasses • Flammable liquids • Flammable Solids • Oxidising agents and organic peroxides • Toxic and infectious substances • Radioactive materials • Corrosive substances • Miscellaneous substances. We will start with explosives. Explosives Of all the hazmat incidents you can respond to, incidents involving explosives will have the biggest and most immediate risk. Explosives are generally highly regulated and it is therefore unlikely that fire services will respond to major fires in explosive installations. The one type of explosive you will probably deal with more regularly is fireworks. Yes folks, fireworks are explosives. Consider the large amounts of fireworks sold legally and illegally Volume 3 | No 8

Hazardous materials

26 die as fireworks truck explodes in China in South Africa every year, especially during the festive seasons; where do the vendors store them? When they are confiscated by law enforcement agencies, do they have sufficient disposal facilities or are they stored in bulk somewhere? This is a problem and must be addressed by all emergency services. Explosives will either burn very intensely (deflagrate) or explode (detonate). A detonation will cause a rapid energy release accompanied by a shock wave with enough force to displace objects of various sizes very quickly and result in devastation; often on a huge scale. Deflagration is caused when the ignited material burns with extreme ferocity and spreads through this material at a rapid rate. Commercial explosives are normally activated by way of a detonator, which is as a rule stored and transported separately. They can also be initiated by means of friction, impact, heat (fire), overpressure, fragmentation, electrostatic discharges or, in the event of electroexplosive devices, electromagnetic radiation. Classification of explosives The United Nations Committee of Experts (UNCOE) on the transport of dangerous goods classifies dangerous goods on the hazards they present in the form in which they are transported. Explosives are classified as follows: • Explosive substances: A solid or liquid substance (or combination), which is in itself capable by chemical reaction of producing gas at such temperature and 38 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

pressure and at such speed as could cause damage to surroundings. Of these, dynamite is probably the best example. • Pyrotechnic substances: A substance (or mixture of substances) designed to produce an effect by heat, light, sound, gas, smoke or a combination of these as a result of non-detonating, self-sustaining exothermic chemical reactions. This is where fireworks are placed. • Explosive articles: Ammunition capable of producing explosions is classified according to this category. The UN classification scheme further classifies explosives according to their hazard potential. Hazard Type 1 includes all those explosives that have a mass explosion hazard. A mass explosion hazard means that in the event of an explosion the entire load will be affected instantaneously. Expect major structural collapse if this was to occur in a confined space. Type 2 Hazard explosives will cause a projection hazard eg mortars but no mass explosion hazard while Type 3 explosives will cause a fire (deflagration) or blast hazard, which will cause considerable radiant heat further causing a projection or blast hazard. Type 4 Hazard explosives will only cause a minor explosion during transport or storage and will only cause a localised effect, normally confined to its packaging. The contents of the entire load will also not generally be affected. Small arms ammunition falls into this category. The final classification is Type 5 class explosives, which describe extremely insensitive substances that have a mass explosion hazard but have very little probability of Volume 3 | No 8

Hazardous materials an initiation or of a transition from burning to detonation under normal transport conditions. Ammonium nitrate fuel oil (a preparation for blasting) falls into this classification. Explosive hazards A blast has two phases; the first is the positive phase that forms from the compression of air in front of the blast wave, which heats and accelerates the movement of air molecules (over pressurisation). The negative-phase follows this and is as a result of the ‘under pressurisation’ caused by the vacuum effect of the preceding over-pressurisation. People exposed to explosive events will generally suffer some sort of ‘blast injury’. Blast injuries are characterised by severe anatomical and physiological impacts from the direct or reflected over-pressurisation force impacting on the body’s surface. The severity of this impact is dependent on the distance of the individual to the explosion, its peak pressure, duration and location (indoors, outdoors or in water). The primary blast injuries will be those suffered due to direct exposure to the blast. The most severe of these would be lung haemorrhaging (pulmonary barotrauma), which would be the most likely cause of death in fatal primary blast injuries. Other injuries could include middle ear damage, abdominal haemorrhaging and perforation, eye rupture and concussion (transient brain injury). A fireball created by an explosion with high temperature will cause severe burns to victims close to the point of explosion.

and transported. To understand all explosives and their applications is virtually impossible. We are fire fighters, not chemists or explosives experts. We need to develop a common-sense approach to hazardous materials. This means that we should have a system where we are able to understand how to identify hazardous materials classes, their risks and how to safely manage them. Having a good understanding of the most common explosives is essential. So, which are those that we need to know more about: Nitroglycerine: This is an extremely sensitive liquid explosive, which is mixed with other inert products to manufacture propellants, dynamite and blasting gelatines. Nitroglycerine is sensitive to flame, heat, shock, oxygen and ultra-violet radiation and due to its instability is not handled or transported in its pure form. It is generally transported in a diluted solution with alcohol or in a mixture with a solid dilutant for pharmaceutical purposes. When dynamite comes into contact with water it may tend to release nitroglycerine. This is important in fire fighting operations. Nitroglycerine is also an extremely toxic substance and can be absorbed through the skin. Consider the decontamination challenges such an incident may present. Trinitrotoluene (TNT): is a comparatively stable explosive mostly used in military applications. This solid substance is relatively safe to handle and can burn

Secondary blast injuries can occur some distance from the explosion and results from flying debris and explosives fragments. Penetrating injuries from flying sharp objects (glass) or blunt injuries caused by falling masonry are the most common here. Asphyxiation caused by the propagation of large columns of dust is another cause of secondary blast injuries. This was a major risk presented to the people in the vicinity of the World Trade Centre Twin Towers during the 911 attacks in 2001.

special risk fire protection

Tertiary blast injuries are those that occur due to a person being thrown over by the blast effect. This can result in fractures and/or traumatic amputation and brain injuries. A fourth blast impact injury can develop later in the victim’s life and includes the kinds of illnesses that can be directly linked to the explosion such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hyperglycaemia and hypertension are included here. In addition to these classifications, explosions can also cause severe burns due to conflagration (no explosion), to hearing impairment due to the noise propagation of the blast and of course structural collapse, which is generally the largest cause of explosive related death. Common types of explosives Explosives are used in a wide range of applications and it is therefore important that we understand these applications in our response areas. How it is stored Volume 3 | No 8

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FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 39

Hazardous materials out in small quantities. Larger quantities can, however, burn to detonation, specifically in confined areas. TNT gives of toxic fumes when it burns and is also toxic when ingested. It is also able to be absorbed through the skin. Nitrocellulose: is a white, fibrous material produced in a variety of forms and its properties are determined by the amount of nitrogen content. Those with a nitrogen content of higher than 12.7 (explosives grade) are generally used for explosives. Nitrocellulose is extremely sensitive to impact and friction in its dry state and ignites easily when exposed to flame. It is generally transported in a wet state ie in water and alcohol, or plasticised. Non-explosive grade nitrocellulose will normally burn and is classified as a class 4.1 flammable solid (we will deal with this more in the article covering flammable solids in the near future). The main uses for nitrocellulose are as an ingredient in propellant mixtures for ammunition and rocket motors and in nitroglycerine explosives. Non-explosive grades of cellulose-nitrate are used in the manufacture paints and lacquers. Primary explosives (fulminates, azides, and stephnates): These are known as ‘initiating explosives’ and are commonly used in detonators and blasting cap compositions. They are highly dangerous and sensitive and explode violently particularly when they contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead and silver. In bulk mode they are also packaged and transported in water or a wetting agent, which provides more stability. Their containers are also designed to prevent leakage. In processed form they will typically be in compressed pellet form or cast into aluminium tubes. In this form they will be highly sensitive to impact and electrical discharge. Packaging is designed to withstand impact but to a limited extent only, such as 1,5 metre drops. Severe impact may cause the package to break open, spilling the contents and thereby increasing the risk factor. Accidentally stepping with a heavy boot on such a small aluminium tube could cause a detonation with sufficient force to lose the foot and lower leg, so care should be taken when approaching such a scene. Gun powder/black powder/black blasting powder: are generally made from a mixture of charcoal, sulphur and potassium nitrate. They are extremely sensitive to ignition from sparks, heat and friction and burn violently in open spaces propagating huge volumes of acrid smoke. They could however cause an explosion if ignited in a confined space. Black powder is used as a blasting explosive as well as an ingredient in certain types of gun-sports cartridges, fireworks and pyro techniques. Oxidisers: are not generally classed as explosives and actually have their own UN classification (5. Oxidising agents and organic peroxides). They can, however, under certain fire conditions explode and for this reason I am including two types, nitrates and chlorates here. Nitrates are used in explosives such as gunpowder, emulsion and 40 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

slurry blasting explosives and in pyrotechnic devices. The most common are potassium, sodium, barium and ammonium nitrates, all of which when mixed with fuel, can burn violently and even explode. Ammonium nitrate is widely used in the agricultural industry as a fertiliser and forms the base for ammonium nitrate and fuel oil explosives. Due to the availability of the ingredients and ease of transport and manufacture this has become a weapon favoured by various terrorist organisations in recent years. The bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, which claimed the lives of 168 people, was an example of commercially available ammonium nitrate being used to develop a terrorist weapon. Chlorates, particularly potassium chlorate, are used in pyrotechnic applications and, as with nitrates, can decompose violently in a fire. Chlorates are generally less stable than nitrates. Emulsion and slurry explosives: are relatively new types of explosives, which are mixtures of nitrates and other products in a water-based system. They are replacing nitroglycerine based explosives for a range of applications, particularly in quarrying. The various products are transported to the blasting site separately and then mixed on-site prior to the blasting activity in a specially designed mix-truck making it a more stable process. Peroxide explosives: are improvised or ‘home-made’ explosives and are constituted from various commercial products, which can be found in any supermarket. These can be: hydrogen peroxide (hair dye), acid (battery acid, citric acid), acetone (nail varnish remover) and hexamine (fuel stove tablets). These explosive are cheap to manufacture, have readily available elements and are hard to identify. A close friend of mine in the South African Police Service (SAPS) was regularly involved in raiding clandestine drug laboratories (many in upmarket residential areas). In the course of his work, he often had to identify and assist in the defusing of these types of booby traps set up inside the clandestine lab. A responding fire service should not except that any fire in a high class neighbourhood is always just a routine fire. Be careful for these kinds of situations. Unfortunately, pre-incident inspections do not generally happen in these establishments. Managing the incident (pre-planning) Due to their unique and high hazard properties, planning for incidents involving explosives is critical. Fortunately, the explosives industry is highly regulated and it should therefore not be too difficult to identify storage and manufacturing facilities. The strict regulations relating to the design of these facilities should provide further assistance to the responding agencies in the event of an incident. These provisions include ie the prevention of confined spaces, safety of electrical appliances, lightning protectors, provision of escape routes and the vertical clearance requirements between buildings and overhead power lines. Volume 3 | No 8

Hazardous materials

First responders at the Boston Marathon explosions Pre-planning should include the location of the explosives, their quantities and hazard classifications and the licence provisions for the site. The construction type of the storage and manufacturing buildings must also be evaluated and any features that may affect fire fighting operations must be taken into account. The potential for fire spread and potential movement of toxic gasses and elements of combustion are important. Although it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t form part of the design (by regulation) also check for unprotected shafts and openings. Finally, take a lot of time to access the structural collapse risk of the premises. For fire fighting and search and rescue operations the layout of the site is important. This will determine where to place your specialised vehicles such as your aerial apparatus and also safe defensive fire fighting positons. You will also ascertain the type and position of fixed fire fighting systems. Does the site have additional water supplies; what are the distances from them and what are the pressure implications? A series of ground plans also needs to be developed indicating the initial staging point, secondary staging positions and locations of command posts, breathing apparatus points and decontamination areas. It should also include escape routes and safety zones. When safety zones are identified, take into account the possibility of projectiles and that it would provide sufficient distance from large, intense fires. Here you will, by default, go defensive. The manufacture of explosives is a complicated activity and a number of auxiliary processes will be running simultaneously, each one posing their own particular Volume 3 | No 8

hazard. Look out for overhead or underground oil and gas pipelines supplying products for storage or the manufacturing process. Electrical transformers and substations, compressed gasses and drainage catchment systems might also be in close proximity. Also, try to identify the various environmental protection systems that may impact operations. Of course, the usual information such as the details of site supervisors and safety officers, expert advisors etc should form part of your plan. Fire safety inspections by your departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fire prevention division should include consultation with representatives of the inspector of explosives, as determined by legislation. This will provide your staff with the necessary knowledge that might otherwise not be readily available in fire services. As always, exercise regularly. Make sure all role-players participate in these exercises and alternate them to make sure that all possible scenarios are covered over a period of time. Military applications If you have a military explosives installation in your area of jurisdiction work together with them to determine exactly what they require of you. Compliance with the Major Hazard Installations Act will require your staff to undergo certain compliance procedures and the security of the information you need to conduct your pre-planning must be adhered to. There will generally be very good emergency procedures in place and it is our role to know where we fit into the picture. FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 41

Hazardous materials The incident must be approached with caution while the crew looks out for visual indicators that could determine the nature/severity of the incident. Upon arrival check if the pre-determined staging area is still viable (it might have been compromised by the blast) and announce arrival and position to all other units. Then try to contact the site safety and management representatives. They will be able to provide you with the latest information related to the emergency, what product is involved, how much of it is involved, how many people are missing, injured or trapped and what mitigation systems have been activated.

A Colorado wastewater facility storing organic peroxide went up in flames after a fracking tanker was hit by lightning CBRNE Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) response is a concept that developed post 911 and refers to terrorist incidents whereby any of the previously mentioned products are used as weapons to cause harm to people and destruction to infrastructure and the environment. The scope of this article is not wide enough to cover the entire concept of CBRNE; however, I think it is important to mention here that in the event of such an incident, the rules of the game may change considerably. A favoured tactic of terrorists is to trigger a single incident and then wait for emergency services to arrive on scene and start working before triggering a second event. While South Africa is not subjected to major acts of terror, recent events worldwide cannot rule out the possibility of it occurring in future. It would be highly negligent of any service to rule this out completely. Explosions caused by acts of terror can vary significantly. You will find that most recent major terror attacks have been conventional attacks using aircraft, explosives and standard firearms rather than intricate spy novel type devices. In order to activate a sensitive device, it needs to be clandestinely transported to the site and will also require a large amount of product ie explosives, gas, liquid etc to cause the intended harm. Consider the logistics, then realise why we don’t see these incidents happen. Managing the incident (response) The incident response begins with the information gathered by the call-taker. Make sure that a specific procedure is in place for the call-taker to utilise when a call is received involving hazardous materials and in this case, explosives. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are as important in the despatch centre as on the fire ground. This information, together with your pre-plan, will then form the basis for your response. 42 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

After establishing command it, will be necessary to identify and clearly indicate the inner cordon (hot zone). It must be strictly controlled and ingress into it must be by command decision only. The primary staging area for those units that will be immediately needed to deal with the incident must be established and its position communicated to arriving units. The secondary staging area must be established for all other arriving units who will not be committed to the incident immediately and may be used later on in the incident. This is especially important if you are responding to a multi-jurisdictional, mutual-aid alarm where not a lot of combined drills and exercises have taken place. Incoming units must be firmly dealt with when they are diverted to the secondary staging area and a staging officer must be placed there to control all vehicle and troop movements. The minimum safety zones will differ depending on the type of product you are dealing with. Ensure that you have a clear guideline for all units indicating the best recommended safety distances for the classes and types of explosives you might have to deal with. Once your command position is set up and the incident can be approached from a safe distance decisions will have to be made regarding the following: • The possibility of a secondary explosive device being detonated. You might have to allow the police bomb disposal squads to enter the hot zone and do a sweep for any additional bombs (in the event of a terrorist attack) • The necessity for activating your city’s major incident or disaster contingency plan • The need for any search and rescue • Determine the operational mode (offensive or defensive) • Additional resource requirements • Neutralisation and isolation of any auxiliary systems and additional hazards Advancing into the hot zone If it is considered safe for crews to advance into the hot zone to start conducting fire fighting or search-andrescue work, make it clear that a number of unstable, unexploded materials could still be lying all over. They should not touch or step on anything they are not familiar with. In a suspected clandestine drug lab try, to avoid any jars containing gels or powders and move very carefully Volume 3 | No 8

Hazardous materials avoiding any taught wires or similar possible booby traps. Ultimately, if there is very little or no chance of saving lives, rather take a defensive stance. Buildings can be replaced, lives can’t. Incident command The magnitude of the incident will determine the size and complexity of the command system. It might also determine if the command post stays where it was initially established or if it is moved to amore tactically convenient position. The valuable information collected by the first arriving units will be vital in deciding the objectives and plan of action for the foreseeable durations of the incident. Your initial object will be the saving and protection of lives. This will require an evacuation of everybody inside the hot zone. To do this you might have to commit some of your forces to assist injured and disoriented people. Only do this if you are satisfied that the situation is stable enough to commit them. The nest part of saving lives will be search and rescue. Make sure that your searchand-rescue teams are well trained in this and are monitored throughout the operation. Also identify safe areas close to their general positions where they can run to when things start going south. They should also have a back-up team on standby to rush to their aid if they are injured or to assist in removing any victims they might have recovered. Your second objective would be to prevent the fire from reaching any explosives. If you are able to attempt this ensure that your water streams are placed between the fire and the explosives and attempt to work the fire away from the risk. Also ensure that any exposures that could conduct heat to the explosive storage areas are adequately cooled down. You might want to consider placing unmanned monitors in position to protect exposures and limit fire spread if it is an extremely high risk environment. All this time, however, you must ensure that all crews committed to the operation must have an escape route. Continuously evaluate the movement of your crews and adapt the escape routes accordingly. If the fire has reached the explosives, an immediate withdrawal must be implemented. The application of water will not extinguish them. All fire crews must be familiar with the pre-determined withdrawal alarm and this must be activated well in advance of any possible flame impingement on the explosives containers. It is here where the ‘RLH’ component of our tactical withdrawal has priority (RLH = Run like Hell). If an explosion were to happen following your withdrawal, take care not to commit resources immediately thereafter. Structures could have become unstable and the possibility of secondary explosions cannot be ruled out. Only after consultation with the site representatives, explosives experts and other essential command staff can fire fighting be resumed. Volume 3 | No 8

Advice for operational crews Crews involved in fire fighting and support activities must realise the unique dynamics of the incident they are dealing with. The most important of these will be to ensure that they are in constant communication with their sector and that this is maintained throughout the incident. Be careful, however, when working with radios inside the hot zone. No radio-frequency transmission is to be allowed within a ten-metre radius from an electro-explosive device. Vehicle mounted radios with an effective radiated output exceeding five Watt should not be allowed to transmit within 50 metres of the hot zone. People must never work alone in the hot zone and should only enter the hot zone to do essential work. When identifying safe zones, bear in mind that single layer brick structures may afford little protection. Large explosives storage and manufacturing facilities usually have well established safety structures which will form part of your pre-planning map. Incident termination The incident command team will have to keep a tight rein on all activities and respond to any changes in the situation, finally bringing the incident to a successful conclusion. Before terminating the incident and announcing an ‘all clear’, command should be satisfied that any residual hazards that may have developed during the operation have been dealt with and have been made safe. If the explosion caused a structural collapse and trapped people have to be rescued, it will be necessary to call in the department rescue squad or even the regional urban search and rescue team. Explosives experts and fire crews will then have to remain on scene while the collapsed structure is being delayered to ensure that no explosives products have remained that are able to cause an additional risk. Notwithstanding the above, the incident commander should liaise with the department fire safety officer and any explosives inspectors and inform them of all his/her observations during the acute operational phase. These observations could be vital in determining the cause of the fire/explosion and provide helpful information on preventing further similar events. South African law will require your service to hand the scene over to the police services and inspector of explosives following the incident termination. In closing I hope you have found this first article on the nine classes of hazardous materials valuable and interesting. I recall a large wildfire some years back where a 50-kilometre per hour wind was pushing the flames right up against a munitions warehouse. The fire service, assisted by helicopters, was able to prevent a major catastrophe by getting enough water between the fire and the building. This was only due to a strong incident commander and a well-established command system. The rapid decision making required for incidents involving explosives will require this. FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 43

Fire service

The City of Hanover Fire Department By Willie Olivier, fleet operations and technical services, City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue and Michael Hintz, media liaison, City of Hanover Fire and Rescue Service

City of Hanover Fire and Rescue Service Station1

n June this year, Willie Olivier and Timothy Ackerman of City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue visited the Hanover Fire and Rescue Service in Germany. The opportunity arose during their visit to Interschutz, Hanover. They were met with enthusiasm by chief fire officer, director Claus Lange and press and liaison officer, Michael Hintz. “On the last day of Interschutz, 14 June 2015, myself and Tim Ackerman met up with the CFO of Hanover Fire and Rescue, Chief Lange. I have met him previously during his visit to Cape Town to share his soccer world cup experience with us. He said we must be ready at 9h30 as he will send his driver to pick us up. My self and Tim were amazed as at 9h30 on the dot the driver stopped in front of our hotel, not a minute before or after (German precision). Communication was difficult though, as he could not speak a word of English and we spoke no German,” said Willie Olivier, fleet

operations and technical services, City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue. “We had coffee, exchanged gifts, memorabilia and badges and after a long discussion, we found out that they are working on a similar operational system as the City of Cape Town; even their shift systems are the same. “Accompanied by Michael Hintz, we visited their media centre where he provided us with a run down on the workings of Hanover Fire. Afterwards we visited the command and control centre and once again the similarities immediately struck us. Hanover District Situated in Lower Saxony, Germany, the Hanover District (without the state capital) has a population of 608 973 covering an area of 2 086km2, averaging 291 residents per square kilometre. The total area of 2 290km² has a population of 1 125 933 based in 16 cities and four communities (Garbsen has 63 290 residents).

Hanover District (without the state capital) has 211 volunteer fire brigades and two full-time industrial fire brigades. City of Hanover The City of Hanover is situated in the Hanover District and is the capital of Lower Saxony. The City has a population of 516 960 in an area of 204km² averaging 2 550 residents per square kilometre and manages 34kms of highway, 166kms railway for public transport and 19kms of subway-system. Hanover Fire and Rescue Service The City of Hanover’s Fire and Rescue Service was founded in 1880 and is currently headed up by Chief Claus Lange. Chief Lange has been in charge since 1997. The City of Hanover’s Fire and Rescue Service is the control centre for fire protection, rescue and ambulance services and is a joint venture between the state capital of Hanover and Hanover District. The City of Hanover

The City of Hanover is the capital of Lower Saxony 44 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

Volume 3 | No 8

Fire service Fire Department is responsible for fire safety, fire protection, fire fighting, emergency medical response, disaster management and civil protection. The City of Hanover’s Fire and Rescue Service consists of the professional fire brigade of the City of Hanover, 17 volunteer fire and rescue stations for its volunteer fire fighters, five municipal fire brigades and two fulltime industrial fire brigades. This modern fire brigade has 750 employees based in five municipal fire stations. In addition, there are four aid agencies and three private fire stations. The City of Hanover Fire Department annually responds to approximately 65 000 calls and operates over 300 vehicles. The service runs a 24-hour shift system with 48 hours off. Visit The headquarters (Station 1) is situated in central Hanover and boasts a 28-bay machine bay that can easily house up to 40 vehicles. “We visited the newly-built Fire Station 1 next to the Hanover industrial area,” said Olivier. “What an impressive building. Wow! State-of-the-art in every aspect. But what can you

Fire chief Claus Lange

expect for 15 million Euros. The rooms and kitchen look like a hotel inside.” “They have two large locker rooms for their personal protective equipment (PPE); one for fire and one for ambulance. The lockers are open, not enclosed or locked. The PPE was still neat and clean and impressively smart as they have just had a major change in new technology.”

“Responding to serious motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), they deploy a rescue pumper, ambulance and a doctor as well as a helicopter, if needed. For accidents on the Auto Bahn, they also send out a mobile crane.”

“As their current headquarters needs to make space for new city development before 2018, the headquarters, control and media centre will move to Station 1, which will then become the new headquarters.”

“A unique feature of their state-of-theart fire engines is that even the back wheels can turn for use in confined spaces. Both axles are steering axles and the rear is computerised. The vehicle cost R9 000 000 fully equipped with fire and rescue tools. Another important feature was the ergonomical design of the fire engine’s compartment storage units, optimising the use of space and even weight distribution.”

“They have a very good private enterprise partnership with major industrial companies who assist with the finance of their projects. Michael Hintz provided us with a comprehensive tour of the facilities, discussing their vehicles and equipment. We found it interesting that their standard response for structural fires is as follows: • 2 Rescue pumpers and 4 crew • 1 Ladder unit and 2 crew • 1 Command vehicle with driver and officer in charge”

“Another interesting unit was a diesel powered mobile fire fighting machine, which is equipped with air blower and a water beam fog. The machine is able to clear the hazardous obstacles by blowing the mixture of air and water. It is designed to withstand the rigor operating conditions and confined spaces. Hanover Fire uses the LUF60 in rail tunnels, aircraft hangers, parking garages, chemical plants etc. The monitor nozzle has a flow rate up to 3 000 litres per minute and it can blow the water beam as far as 80m. Its rubber

Willie Olivier and Michael Hintz

The two locker rooms for PPE; one for fire and one for ambulance Volume 3 | No 8

FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 45

Fire service

One of the new R9 million fire engines

A special street sweeper to clean up post-accident and one of the ambulances

The LUF60 remote controlled, diesel-powered mobile fire fighting unit

A container truck loading the container with the UlS60 and a PPV fan

track system enables the robot to climb stairs, operate at a 20 degree angle with the ventilation tube at a maximum 45 degree angle and in temperatures of 205 degrees Celsius,” added Olivier. Hanover fire safety, prevention and protection The Lower Saxony Fire Protection Act states that municipalities with professional fire brigades are responsible for fire safety and fire protection. This includes preventive measures, minimising the probability of occurrence and the extent of damage from fires and fire suppression. This includes, in particular, early fire detection, rescuing people and effective fire fighting. The formal fire brigades’ responsibilities include structural, technical and commercial fire safety and protection. For provincial capital Hanover, the fire department does not only fulfil its legal/mandated function but also additional tasks. These mainly include: • Fire protection demonstrations • Issuing of fire protection building permits • Comments for “third parties” • Consultations • Fire safety education and information • Signing off on events and meeting places 46 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

• Testing of fire fighting equipment • Fire protection in Hanover • Fire protection in the greater Hanover region Fire and risk management The fire and risk management division is the operational link in the safety chain. Its aim is to take defensive measures against fire and other hazards (eg atomic, biological and chemical substances) in order to eliminate these effectively. This integrates adequate emergency response planning. The following (exemplary) scope of duties fall under deflective fire and risk management: • Fire protection/fire fighting • Assistance with incidents and emergencies • Hazmat including decontamination • Animal rescues • Administrative police planning and organising explosive ordnance disposal measures • Implementation of fire safety guards • Operation of command management centre of the Hanover Fire Brigade Medical response/ambulance service As legislated by the Lower Saxony RettDG, the City of Hanover City is also responsible for the land-based emergency and rescue service in its urban areas including the Hemminger Districts, Westerfeld and

Devese. It is responsible for ensuring a comprehensive, needs-based rescue service to the public. These include emergency care (medical care of a critically injured or ill person), intensive care transport and patient transport (transport of sick, injured people). The City of Hanover operates five emergency medical services’ (ambulance) bases for its emergency services response, situated at hospitals. Emergency medical rescue resources include 14 ambulances and five emergency doctor’s vehicles. There are also 15 patient transport ambulances. There is also a minimum of two ambulances per fire station. A rescue helicopter is responsible for the Hanover District. The ambulance services’ goal is to continually ensure the level of safety through the use of a suitable rescue means within an impact time of less than 15 minutes. The maximum waiting period for patient transport is 30 minutes. In addition to supplying a professional emergency service, the Hanover Fire Department is also responsible for: • The implementation of the operational emergency services and the fire brigade officer in the Volume 3 | No 8

Fire service emergency service (organisations such as Arbeiter Samariter Bund (German medical help organisation), Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (German Red Cross), JUH (German organisation of St John Ambulance), Malteser Hilsdienst (MHD) and three private companies • Provisional admissions according to §18 Lower Saxony Law on Assistance and Protection Measures for the Mentally Ill (NPsychKG) • The implementation of the tasks of the region control centre, including the operation of the central support service for intensive care transports in Lower Saxony • Local incident command services with conducting physician and organisational director for the City and Region Hanover

and Hanover City Council has had a joint control centre for fire protection, technical rescue, emergency services (emergency rescue and ambulance) and special incidents and services. The regional control centre has an operational area of approximately 2 300 square kilometres with a population of1,2 million people making it one of the largest integrated control centres in Germany.

Disaster management and civil protection The provincial capital of Hanover is the Disaster Protection Authority according to the Lower Saxony Disaster Protection Act (NKatSG). The fire brigade is also responsible for the administrative coordination and management of all disaster management and civil protection matters. Responsibilities include, inter alia: • Development of operational models for major events or hazardous incidents, risk assessments and resource planning • Analysis of current local, national and international risks and the development of proactive procedures for the City of Hanover as Federal Disaster Management Agency • Planning and implementation of disaster risk reduction • Establishing, developing and training of various organisations and institutions for disaster management and civil protection • Monitoring and implementing the Disaster Management Plan • Managing inter-agency disaster planning with other disaster management authorities • Ensuring and managing civil military cooperation (CIMIC) • Personal protection and civil defence • Public information and warning notifications

The region control centre handles more than 2 200 calls a day and responds to over 500 emergencies. The regional control centre also houses the disaster management and control authority for the City of Hanover.

Region control centre Hanover Since January 2006, the Hanover region Volume 3 | No 8

Since July 2008, the region control centre also acts as the central hub for intensive care transport in Lower Saxony, managing both air and road intensive care transports and transfers. Both authorities entered into a mutual agreement guaranteeing technical and operational cooperation between fire fighters and public servants to ensure a high-quality and efficient service.

Staff complement • 1 head of the control centre • 1 deputy • 4 supervisors • 48 control operators in 4 shifts • 3 control operators (day shift) • 5 employees for electronic data processing, radio technology and communications engineering Volunteer service Hanover’s volunteer fire brigade is an indispensable and crucial part of the fire brigade. It consists of 17 local fire departments in which more than

700 women and men provide a volunteer service. The project is coordinated by the city fire chief. Together with the professional fire brigade, it meets the mandatory obligations of the state capital, Hanover, as govern by the Lower Saxony Fire Protection Act. This includes: • Fire protection • Accident and emergency response • Fire safety services • Fire safety education and information Moreover, it is involved in many special operations eg hazardous materials safety, management and communications, catering and care, water rescue, heavy technical rescue and flood protection. These are specialised units that consist of full-time and volunteer emergency services equipped with high-tech gear and apparatus. In addition to the typical fire fighting and emergency response tasks, the volunteer firemen also assist with the child and youth group. Since 1964, Hanover Fire Brigade offers not only training to youngsters but also a fully-fledge, competent youth brigade for boys and girls aged 10 to 18 years. All 17 local fire departments are as well in the Spielmanns- and Fanfarenzug volunteer fire fighters Hanover have a youth fire service. In the children’s fire brigades, boys and girls aged six to 12 years playfully prepare themselves to join the youth fire brigade. Training children in fire fighting provides essential guidance and direction building young talent. Hanover’s child and youth fire brigades have around 480 members.

Regional control centre, Hanover FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 47

Incident command system

The incident command system toolkit

n incident command system (ICS) Toolkit has been developed for South African use by the Western Cape Government, disaster management, fire and rescue services sub directorate in collaboration with the South African ICS Work Group. The incident command system, simply referred to as ICS, intends to provide a consistent and structured approach to the management of incidents and events of any nature and scale. The acronym ICS could also be interpreted as ‘Its Common Sense’. The ICS Toolkit was therefore prepared with simplicity in mind. It was developed by emergency responders in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, as a system to assist with the management of all hazard incidents in the province. It is a living document developed from international best practice but including lessons learned from local experiences. The ICS Toolkit was developed and funded under the direction from the Western Cape Government, disaster management, fire and rescue services sub directorate. The ICS Toolkit, which was designed by Patrick Ryan and ?, was developed to provide guidance rather than prescribe how incidents should be managed. These guidelines were designed to provide for the various components to seamlessly integrate and work together in one organisation to develop and implement an incident response in accordance with agreed upon objectives. The guidelines were packaged in such a manner that organisations may only use the functional positions relevant to their own specific needs. Participating organisations must therefore have working knowledge of ICS to ensure their effective operation within the ICS organisation and how to use these guidelines properly. “These guidelines can only remain current and relevant if all participating organisations adopt it as its own and

48 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

ICS RESPONSIBILITIES COMMAND (IC/UC) COMMAND STAFF AREA COMMAND(AC) OPERATIONS (OSC) PLANNING (PSC) LOGISTICS SECTION CHIEF (LSC) FINANCE SECTION CHIEF (FSC) INTELLIGENCE & INVESTIGATION GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES & PROCEDURES

The ICS folder cover further its development. I therefore strongly encourage all stakeholders to actively participate with the implementation of ICS in their respective spheres of operation. This ICS Toolkit is the result of a lengthy process of research, consultation and development. Western Cape Government Disaster Management, Fire and Rescue Services sub directorate collaborated with a number of organisations during this process, including several experienced ICS experts from the United States. Many South African professionals contributed to elaborating on the concepts included in the text and many others reviewed and helped finalise its content,” said Etienne du Toit, deputy director, Fire and Rescue Services, Western Cape Government, who was also the project manager for the ICS Toolkit. Review The South African technical review team included Reinard Geldenhuys, head disaster management and fire services, Overberg District Municipality; Rodney Eksteen, assistant director, fire and rescue services, Western Cape Government; Annelize LamprechtVirtue, assistant director, Fire and Rescue Services, Western Cape Government; Philip Prins, manager: fire, South African National Parks; Tony Marshall, integrated catchment manager, CapeNature; Willie Olivier, divisional commander, City

of Cape Town Fire and Rescue; Etienne van Bergen, divisional commander, City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue and Gerhard van Niekerk, ground operations manager, Working on Fire. Colin Deiner, chief director disaster management, Western Cape Government, was a special contributor. The US technical review team included Tim Murphy, chief of fire and aviation for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The incident command system (ICS) The incident command system (ICS) is used to manage the response to an emergency incident or a nonemergency event. ICS categorises response into functional components to be performed by the agency with responsibility for the response. When more than one entity has response authority, the coordinated response structure is managed using a unified command system (UCS). The basic ICS/UCS operating guideline is that the incident commander/unified command is responsible for all functions until authority for individual functional components is delegated to another person or agency. The organisation of the ICS/UCS is built around five major management activities. These include: 1. Command - sets objectives and priorities; has overall responsibility at the incident or event. 2. Operations - conducts tactical operations to carry out the plan and develops the tactical objectives, organisation and directs all resources. 3. Planning - develops the action plan to accomplish the objectives, collects and evaluates information and maintains resource status. 4. Logistics - provides support to meet incident needs, as well as resources and all other services needed to support the incident. 5. Finance/administration - monitors costs related to the incident and provides accounting, procurement, time recording and cost analysis. Volume 3 | No 8

TRAINING

Incident command system preparedness becomes fragmented, inefficient and poorly coordinated. The term ‘emergency’ in the ICS Toolkit is used in the broadest possible sense. One person’s emergency may be another’s mere incident and disasters cause problems above and beyond smaller emergencies. Nevertheless, the processes of the incident command system can be used to for coping with every scale of adverse events. Similarly, the same processes can be used for managing and coordinating a major event as was seen with the hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2010. The Toolkit is colour coded for ease of operation The ICS/UCS is designed to work equally well for both small and large situations and can expand or contract (scalable) to meet the needs of the incident. For example, during small incidents, the incident commander may directly assign tactical resources and oversee all operations. Large incidents, however, usually require that the Incident commander/unified command delegate responsibility for each major activity to separate sections within the organisation. Further, each of the primary ICS/UCS sections may be sub-divided as required. When more than one entity has response authority, the unified command may include national, provincial, local and responsible party representatives. The purpose of the ICS Toolkit This ICS Toolkit is designed to assist those concerned with responding to emergencies at the local level and implementing the incident command system. It explains what the incident command system is and how to achieve it in an effective, appropriate way. It is intended principally for: − organisations and managers responsible for emergency planning and response (eg fire and rescue services, emergency medical services, hazardous material (hazmat) response agencies, disaster management officials etc) and − national and international officials involved in emergency management. National disaster management bodies, emergency management organisations and sectoral departments, such as public health authorities, are 50 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the nation’s people, resources and environment in the face of hazards. It is at the community level, however, that the full effects of emergencies are felt and it is there that definitive achievements in emergency preparedness can be made. It is difficult for national and international emergency organisations to form an effective working relationship with a community that is unaware of its hazards and unprepared for emergencies. The key to emergency preparedness is the involvement and commitment of all relevant individuals and organisations at every level − community, provincial, national, and international. This multi-sectoral approach means that many organisations accept clearly-defined responsibilities and the need to coordinate their efforts. Without their involvement and commitment, emergency

The toolkit and its accompanying manual explain the processes of the incident command system for use in a wide range of emergency management applications. The ICS Toolkit comprises the following components: • Colour coded manual in A4 ring binder • ICS forms • CD containing pdf files • ICS 215 and 215a dry wipe charts • Dry wipe incident objectives and map charts • A2 safety charts • Modular colour coded T-card system for easy overview all resources • Portable weather proof kit bag Each component is designed to be completely integrated, scalable and adaptable. Contents The ICS Toolkit comes complete and includes all aspects of incident command. Its contents includes:

The T-cards are standardised Volume 3 | No 8

Incident command system Glossary Interpretation and administration • Incident command system implementation • Standardisation Command • Establishment and transfer of command • Chain of command and unity of command: • Unified command • Accountability • Information and intelligence management Organisational structure • Incident command • Single incident commander (IC) • Unified command • Command and general staff • General staff • Operations section • Operations section chief • Divisions and groups • Resources • Planning section • Logistics section • Finance/administration section • Incident management team Multi agency coordination • Multi agency coordination

establishment • Disaster management centre/joint operations centre • Multi-agency coordination groups Public information • System components • Public information officer • Joint information • Joint information centre • Organisational independence Summary of major ICS positions ICS forms

The toolkit will be launched later this year and will be available online for download from the Western Cape Government website and the South Africa ICS Work Group website, which is currently under construction. Printed versions will be for each service’s own account but detailed specifications will be supplied. This will include the colourcoded manual’s ring binder, the dry wipe objectives and charts and the modular colour coded T-card system.

Dry wipe objectives

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lalierainsford@gmail.com FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 51

Acetylene fires

Fire service response to incidents involving acetylene cylinders By Etienne du Toit, Deputy Director: Fire Brigade Services, Western Cape Government

Acetylene van explosion research was carried out into how ventilation in the rear of enclosed vans affects the build-up of acetylene gas by the Health and Safety Laboratory, UK

his article is aimed at trained fire fighters with the necessary training, experience and equipment that may require additional background on dealing with acetylene cylinder emergencies. It is not intended for non-emergency responders and should not be seen to replace any standard operating procedure (SOP) or material safety data sheet (MSDS). The 2015 Tianjin explosions were a series of explosions that occurred at a container storage station at the Port of Tianjin starting on Wednesday, 12 August 2015. The first two explosions occurred within 30 seconds of each other at the facility, which is located in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin, China. Over one hundred people were killed and hundreds of others were injured. It has not yet been determined what chemicals were being stored at the site. In addition to vast quantities of sodium cyanide and calcium carbide, 800 tons of ammonium nitrate and 500 tons of potassium nitrate were found, according to local reports. On 17 August 2015, the deputy director of the public security bureau’s fire 52 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

department told CCTV, “Over 40 kinds of hazardous chemicals (were stored on site). As far as we know, there were ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate. According to what we know so far, all together there should have been around 3 000 tons.”

cylinder may have ignited. It is not unusual to find acetylene cylinders abandoned or dumped in vacant commercial and industrial facilities or even open veld. Abandoned cylinders have also been found at rubbish dumps and metal recyclers.

Ammonium nitrate, which is principally used in manufacturing fertiliser and the production of explosives, has been implicated in a number of other fatal industrial explosions. A fire department spokesman confirmed that fire fighters had used water in combating the initial fire, which may have led to water being sprayed on calcium carbide, releasing the highly volatile gas, acetylene. This may have ignited, detonating the ammonium nitrate. In subsequent discussions it became evident that there is a general lack of understanding as far as acetylene is concerned. In South Africa, calcium carbide is transported in sealed containers with a water tight nitrogen blanket.

Fire service emergency response involving compressed gas cylinders are among the most potentially destructive and life threatening. Leaking and burning cylinders may contain one of many different gases, pure or in mixtures that can cause serious injury in numerous ways. Compounding the problem is that there seems to be a lack of readily available information for responders on how to handle compressed gas cylinders. Most safety data sheets (SDSs), formerly referred to as MSDSs and guideline documents, will normally require the notification of the fire and rescue services, however, very little information is readily available to these agencies.

The prevalence of acetylene makes it one of the more common cylinder responses. Sometimes the cylinder is merely leaking without any fire and sometimes the gas leaking from the

Acetylene, when stored as a compressed gas in a cylinder, is unique in its ability to continue to ‘self-heat’ after the fire has been extinguished. When involved in a fire, acetylene Volume 3 | No 8

Acetylene fires can begin to decompose once a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius is reached; that is, break down into its constituent elements of hydrogen and carbon. The decomposition reaction is exothermic; that is, it produces heat. Acetylene cylinders are designed to contain and inhibit decomposition; however, if left unchecked, decomposition could lead to the failure of the cylinder. This means that unlike other fuel gases, acetylene may continue to be a hazard after the fire has been extinguished and requires specific operational procedures. This article examines fire service response to emergencies involving acetylene, focussing on the following scenarios: • Leaking cylinders without ignition of gas • Cylinders involved in fire Characteristics of acetylene Acetylene (C2H2) is not an air gas but a synthesis gas generally produced from the reaction of calcium carbide with water. A gaseous hydrocarbon, it is colourless, has a strong garlic odour, is unstable, highly combustible and produces a very hot flame (over 3 000 degrees Celsius) when combined with oxygen. • Major hazard: fire • Toxicity: simple asphyxiant • Flammability limits in air ie standard temperature and pressure (STP) conditions: 2.4-83 volume percent (The upper limit could reach 100 percent) • Odour: garlic-Like • UN Number: UN 1001 • Hazard class : Class 2: Division 2.1 flammable gas Acetylene presents a problem to fire fighters because it is found in every community, ranging from large industrial plants to ‘roadside’ exhaust repair in an informal settlement. These environments may range from extremely well regulated to totally uncontrolled. Product identification One of the primary objectives during the response phase of any incident involving hazardous materials is the identification of the product involved. The shape of a container may be used to identify the type of chemical involved. A cylinder Volume 3 | No 8

made for low-pressure, liquefied compressed gas service generally has broad and fat proportions. Dissolved acetylene cylinders are predominantly used in South Africa and similar to the permanent gas cylinders. A high-pressure cylinder containing a compressed gas (one that is nonliquefied, called a permanent gas) is relatively taller and thinner and more bullet shaped. Acetylene cylinders are maroon in colour in accordance with South African National Standards (SANS) 10019. For acetylene being transported, examining the shipping papers, dangerous goods declaration (DGD), transport emergency card (TREMCARD) and manifest are definitive methods of identification. The manifest should list the number of the full and empty cylinders being carried and generally occurs at the beginning and end of the delivery process. For cylinders containing flammable and non-flammable gases transported by private or contract carriers, a colour-coded SANS compliant label must be used. The use of the Department of Transport (DoT) label, as sometimes taught in South African hazardous material (hazmat) training, may not be used. Such cylinders may have a welded seam running either the length or the circumference of the container, and usually there is a foot ring at the base. The cylinder will have fusible-plug type pressure relief devices. These devices are designed to melt when their temperature reaches about 107 degrees Celsius (ISO 3807Annex G). When a fusible plug is activated, the entire content is expelled. There will be at least one such device at the top of the cylinder, either as part of the valve assembly or adjacent to it. Additionally, there will also be a fusible plug at the bottom. Although this will vary with the size of the cylinder, this is the basic arrangement.

manner. If the cylinder is placed vertically again, it will take a long time before the acetone is back in the position in which it is intended to be. The result is that if used immediately after having been stored in a horizontal plane, liquid acetone comes out with the gas flow of acetylene in the torch. This can have a dramatic influence on the torch flame; it becomes very unstable. This is often referred to as ‘spitting’ as it looks like spitting. If a cylinder has been transported or stored horizontally, you should wait at least two days after placing the cylinders in its normal vertical position before using them. Leaking cylinders Always consider the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and all available information to guide your actions. A leaking cylinder without a fire is dangerous because the gas could find an ignition source and explode ie unconfirmed vapour cloud explosion (UVCE). If an acetylene cylinder is suspected of leaking, check it to determine if this is the case and place a hose line in position to hydraulically ventilate the escaping gas. When checking for leaks, take care when using a combustible gas detector. Acetylene gas burns so hot it can burn out the catalytic filament in the bridge, thus destroying the sensor. Also, the fumes of burning acetylene may coat the filament in the bridge, which may reduce the instrument`s accuracy for future readings. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using

It is important to note that acetylene being dissolved in the liquid acetone, which is held in porous material, can result in some strange effects during use for cutting and welding. When an acetylene cylinder is transported horizontally, the acetone will slowly redistribute in a horizontal

Acetylene and oxygen combi cylinder FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 53

Acetylene fires

Acetylene presents a problem to fire fighters because it is foundin every community any detection devices regardless of make and application. Based on the various methods of identification, we should know what the product is. We know that acetylene is flammable therefore there is no reason to use a gas detector to detect a leak. A simple soap-and-water solution will effectively determine the location of the leak. Typical leak points are the packing nut, the valve threads, the regulator and other attachments. Fusible plugs, if fitted, should also be inspected. Tighten attachments from which acetylene is leaking. Remember that the regulator connection is a lefthanded thread and must be turned anti-clockwise to be tightened. Acetylene cylinders are normally equipped with a packing valve. If the leak emanates from the valve stem, try shutting the valve and tightening the packing nut under the valve handle. This compresses the packing material and should stop the leak. If the valve continues to leak, move the cylinder to an open outside area and allow the gas to slowly vent until the cylinder empties. The area should be monitored, and a hose line should be used to dissipate the gas. Never over pack a leaking acetylene cylinder into any type of containment or over drum type device. If a leaking cylinder is over packed, the pure acetylene released will become pressurised inside the containment device and 54 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

may spontaneously ignite as the pressure rises above 150kPa. Under these circumstances, the cylinder should be moved to a safe area and be allowed to depressurise before any repairs are attempted. Fire situations involving acetylene cylinders Again, all actions taken must be in accordance with the standard operating procedures or guidelines of the relevant fire service, MSDS or Emergency Response Guidebook. The United Kingdom Department of Communities and Local Government’s Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor’s “Operational guidance for incidents Involving hazardous materials” is an excellent publication and describe detailed actions to be followed: https://www.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/15082/GRA_ Hazmat_Manual_part_1.pdf. If no positive identification is possible, rather treat any cylinder involved as acetylene. Evacuation, the creation of an exclusion zone and the deployment of hose lines for cooling and exposure protection should form part the initial tactical objectives. It is also extremely important that the cylinder agent be notified of the incident as early as possible.

Fires involving acetylene cylinders have various causes and may involve cylinders and hoses during welding and cutting operations. The heat may in certain cases cause the fusible plug to melt, resulting in a fire that vents from the fusible plug opening. This may sometimes be referred to as an ‘explosion’ due to the sudden and very high pitched noise, the former is in fact not an explosion but rather an energy release. Depending on the cylinder`s internal pressure, the flames can reach two to three metres into the air. As the gas burns off, the pressure inside the cylinder drops and the size of the flame will diminish accordingly. In this situation, it is important to get water from a hose line on the cylinder in order to cool it and also protect any exposures. This is best done from a position of safety; for example, by shielding from ‘behind heavy machinery or a solid wall’. A fixed water monitor could be used for this. A coarse water spray giving wide application cover is preferable to a jet. Always bear in mind that the cylinder has fusible plugs; if the cylinder heats up and water is keeping just the plugs cool, the plugs may not function and the cylinder may rupture. Always be aware of other cylinders in the vicinity that may create an exposure problem. Move those if safe to do so, if not safe also cool them. Do not attempt to move a burning cylinder; it is dangerous to do so. Decide whether to allow the cylinder to burn whilst being cooled or to extinguish the fire and plug the leak. Take note that these procedures are to be undertaken by the fire service. Individual incident commanders may decide to change their tactics according to the circumstances of the incident. This procedure may contradict the generally accepted principle of never overriding a pressure-release device; the reasons for doing this may be sound being informed by the situation at hand. If allowed to vent, there is always the possibility that a flammable mixture may form and ignite. It could take a substantial amount of time to empty a cylinder, depending on its pressure and the size of the leak. Fire fighters Volume 3 | No 8

Acetylene fires may be tied up for substantial period while venting and monitoring the situation. Remember, there is more than one fusible plug on a cylinder. Despite one being plugged, the remaining ones can still activate should a secondary problem occur. This procedure may be regarded as being safe provided that the cylinder is promptly handed over to the owner company. A fire from a leaking valve stem may also occur. One method of handling this situation is to extinguish the fire and then treat the cylinder the same as any other leaking cylinder. However, if such a fire is extinguished, there is always the possibility that tightening the packing material will not stop the leak. In this case, the product will continue to release and must be vented with the area monitored for any accumulation of gas. Another possible scenario is the decomposition of the acetylene inside the cylinder, which is accompanied by an exothermic reaction. This may be the result of the cylinder’s exposure to heat, even very briefly, such as a welder`s torch, flashback or a nearby fire. This may be recognised through discolouration, an area on the cylinder that is hot to touch or dries faster than the rest even after the application of water. It has also been reported that in severe cases bulging have occurred on the affected area of the cylinder. A thermal imaging camera (TIC) may also reveal hot areas. Close the valve of such a cylinder. This will prevent more acetylene from being drawn to the hot spot inside and the reaction should eventually cease. The heat given off by the decomposition is dissipated to the outside wall and is conducted away by the matrix inside. However, in this situation, the cylinder should be kept cool by water from a hose line or through immersion in water. The cylinder must be monitored until the decomposition ceases after the valve is closed. How long must the cylinder be cooled to ensure any acetylene decomposition is over and cannot re-start? • Acetylene cylinders involved in fires become safe and stable after just one hour cooling. In addition one hour monitoring time has been added Volume 3 | No 8

Oxy-acetylene cylinders leaked then ignited in the back of a van

to double the known safety margin. • When effective cooling of the cylinder shell has been achieved, water cooling should be stopped. The cylinder should still not be moved for a further one hour and an appropriate, risk assessed hazard zone should be maintained. This monitoring phase is required due to the possibility of internal decomposition occurring. The German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) has performed extensive research into acetylene cylinder decomposition. For more information from BAM visit their website: http://www.bam.de/ en/kompetenzen/fachabteilungen/ abteilung_2/fg21/index.htm Necessity Gas storage cylinders potentially pose a major problem for fire and emergency services. Close liaison with suppliers and manufacturers is recommended; these companies have vast experience and are valuable sources of information. Obtain Gas Association pamphlets, South African National Standards (SANS) and industry safety information to learn more. Safety material from gas suppliers contains information on cylinders and their contents and reports on incidents, how they have caused death and destruction. Know what you are dealing with and constantly train and update emergency response procedures.

References • http://encyclopedia.airliquide com/ • http://www newworldencyclopedia.org/entry Acetylene • ANSI/NFPA 51B, Fire prevention in use of cutting and welding processes. • SANS 220, Dissolved acetylene cylinders. • SANS 3821/ISO 3821, Gas welding equipment - Rubber hoses for welding, cutting and allied processes. • SANS 10019, Transportable containers for compressed, dissolved and liquefied gases – Basic design, manufacture, use and maintenance. • http://www.bam.de/en kompetenzen/fachabteilungen abteilung_2/fg21/index.htm • https://www.gov.uk/government uploads/system/uploads attachment_data/file/15082/GRA Hazmat_Manual_part_1.pdf • https://www.gov.uk/government uploads/system/uploads attachment_data/file/15083/GRA Hazmat_Manual_part_2. • British Compressed Gases Association (www.BCGA.co.uk) Cylinders in Fires Customer Leaflet: L6, ISSUE 2/ 2008 • European Industrial Gases Association AISBL: Doc 123/13 Code of Practice: Acetylene • Wilhelmsen Ships Service entitled, “Understanding Acetylene” FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 55

Training

eThekwini Metro Fire and Emergency Services: physical fitness assessment By Alex Gloster, training manager and Nicholas Orson, training officer: fitness and health, eThekwini Metro Fire and Emergency Services

The eThekwini Grinder Challenge encompass the revised testing procedure

Thekwini Metro Fire and Emergency Services and the erstwhile City of Durban Fire Department, has for many years employed a fitness standard for acceptance into and operations within the fire and emergency services arena. The standard outlined below is intended to serve the staff of the service regarding muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness, identification of areas

The test is aimed at determining any personnel’s ability to perform critical tasks adequately

56 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

of concern, reduced rehabilitation periods post-illness or -injury and engagement of remedial measures as and if indicated, to ultimately enjoy longevity of service, health and quality of life. The initial formalised assessments of the brigade have used a physical fitness assessment devised by the brigade in consultation with Prof Yoga Coopoo of the Human Movements Department of the University of Durban-Westville. These disciplines originally included 2,4km run, sit-ups, bench press (60 percent of body mass), flexed-arm hang, standing jump, flexibility and grip strength. (There was later modification to consider vertical jump displacement against the horizontal standing jump and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2Max) as measured through stationary bicycle work). However, there existed concern that there appeared to be little correlation of the assessment disciplines with the activities associated with fire and rescue functions. To address these concerns, the Brigade looked at the American Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT). However, at the outset it was determined that the capital outlay for certain equipment was prohibitively

expensive and not readily available. Alternates were sought, with the specific intention of enjoying the input of staff into the determination of disciplines and parameters. The new physical fitness test (PFT) has been developed with the input of Prof Andrew McKune of the University KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus Human Movements Sciences Department. The training officer: fitness and health of eThekwini Metro Fire and Emergency Services, Nicholas Orson (Hon.SpSc, CSCS), is credited with the development and publication of this testing procedure and the formulation of the tests and applicable parameters with Prof McKune. The ‘author’ cannot claim the technical expertise in this field. There is an obvious desire to address these needs through task’s that are relevant to fire fighting and simulated in this new test. The following aspects were ranked by the fire fighting staff, according to both critically-of-task and difficulty-of-task in the survey and included frequency of task execution as a factor. The outcomes were used to determine weighting of physical aspects of the functions requiring greater emphasis for assessment discipline determination. Volume 3 | No 8

Training 1. Wearing full protective clothing (PPE) including self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) 2. Extend dry hoseline from fire apparatus to fire occupancy 3. Enter through a door using force 4. Crawl through smoke filled structures pulling charged hose 5. Remove ladder from fire apparatus, carry and place at structure 6. Climb ladder carrying tools 7. Remove equipment from fire apparatus and carry to scene 8. Climb stairs carrying high rise pack 9. Hook up to hydrant 10. Pull ceiling to check for fire extension 11. Drag dry supply line from apparatus to hydrant 12. Search for victim in fire occupancy with limited visibility 13. Remove victim or injured partner from fire scene 14. Extricate victim from vehicle 15. Raise or lower equipment from windows 16. Carry stretcher or gurney 17. Move heavy objects to gain access to fire and free trapped persons 18. Extend, hold and support a charged attack line with flowing water 19. Start power tools 20. Walk along uneven/narrow surfaces 21. Operate at elevated heights 22. Pull self up and over an obstacle, into an opening 23. Removing debris from a fire scene 24. Climb fence or wall in full protective clothing (PPE), with full protective equipment 25. Remove, throw carry salvage covers to protect equipment 26. Climb stairs in full protective clothing (PPE) carrying fire fighter equipment 27. Roll up hose and place on apparatus 28. Advance charged attack line around obstacles while remaining stationary 29. Operate fire extinguishers 30. Searching for victims in a structure and carrying forcible entry tools 31. Extending the fly section of a ladder 32. Handling foam concentrate 33. Performing rope rescue 34. Climbing down with a patient 35. Pulling and rescuing patient in water Volume 3 | No 8

A factor of the test is that it identifies the defined unfit The test is an absolute test (no change in any physical/physiological parameter) for any subject. The test is performed as a circuit, in which the personnel move from one station to the next, with a prescribed active rest period between each station (29m Âą 20sec) and each participant is required to work as hard as possible on each component (or pace themselves with relative effort) and then walk to the next station on completion of the previous station. All personnel are required to wear full fire gear and SCBA (or weight-vest) throughout. The utilisation of full fire gear, SCBA and various intensities of the different stations, were proven to appropriately replicate not only task specificity but were also in line with operational protocols and thus produced a protocol, that inherently takes into account the safety of the individual. Although there are definite extremes experienced on the fireground where adrenalin-fuelled circumstances put the fire fighters life on the line for the protection of others, we needed to control these variables and ultimately produced a test, which objectively assesses the minimum physical requirement needed to tackle both the mundane incidents and those of higher magnitude and one which displays no adverse/disparate impact on any minority group. Fire fighting is varied and unique in application and thus it is important to understand the physiological effects of the simplest tasks versus the most extremes. The test selected might not replicate the most absolute intensities and extreme durations experienced during major events but it can definitely

predict the possibility of success if one is encountered with such extremes. Another factor of the test is that it identifies the defined unfit. The nature of the test has the participant don all PPE and SCBA and this alone places the individual under cardiovascular and muscular stress. It has the individual perform submaximal tasks for half the operational time required by SCBA use, without the excessive effects of incident related stressors and then assesses their cardiovascular response to this submaximal effort based on heart rate and recovery heart rate readings. Recovery heart rate measures the cardiovascular efficiency of personnel and has been determined as an effective predictor of cardiovascular mortality risk. Thus, it will allow the brigade to monitor, assist or exclude individuals at potentially high risk of precipitating a cardiovascular event, which is further exacerbated by maximal physical effort as would be experienced on the fireground. Therefore, the crux of the test lies not in the prescribed cut-off time alone but also on the physiological and cardiovascular response of the individual, to the submaximal effort (absolute same test intensity for all individuals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; concept of all or none principal). This will then indicate the level of effort produced by the test, predicting success in a maximally induced event and secondly, the physiological strain could determine the physiological state of the individual, as to determine whether a more extreme event could precipitate any underlying cardiovascular event on the fireground; the number one killer globally of fire fighters. FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 57

Training

and

two-yearly medical assessments), clearing them for physical training and testing, before being allowed to participate in a test, as well as filling out a health appraisal medical history questionnaire, year on year. This will be recorded and maintained 3. Consent forms and indemnity forms will be filled out prior to any evaluation, including blood pressure screening. 4. There will then be a five to 10 minute standardised warmup for all participants, directly before commencing their individual test. 5. There will then be a verbal orientation of the test and participants will be expected to have orientated themselves with the test prior to participation. 6. The participant will then be instructed that the test is not an all out or max effort test and that they should pace themselves throughout the test. 7. Time will be called out to them after each event to allow them to effectively pace themselves on following components (either need to go harder or can preserve energy on the relatively easier events based on their time) 8. The participant will then commence the test as outlined previously, completing each task in a circuit fashion with a 20 second active recovery period between each task. 9. Once the test is concluded, post test heart rates will be recorded and then one minute post test heart rates will be recorded to assess their heart rate recovery and thus relative fitness. 10. Fire gear with SCBA will be worn throughout the test as well as a heart rate monitor where possible to assess physical exertion and intensity levels throughout the test.

The protocol for the new test will be as follows: 1. Resting blood pressure and pulse rate will be assessed and recorded (if it is above the required range then the test will be postponed, pending a medical evaluation) 2. Each individual will present a current medical certificate (operational personnel undergo

The testing procedure is detailed in the revised Grinder test as used in the eThekwini Grinder Challenge for all inclusive components as well as cutoff times. It will also detail physiological effects and performance scaling for each component (poor/acceptable/ excellent - to determine focus areas where remediation could assist performance) as well as remediation exercises to improve identified shortfalls.

The physiological strain could determine the physiological state of the individual New test The test is purported as a mandatory measurement protocol, aimed at determining any personnelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to perform various critical tasks adequately and safely and without extreme adverse impact on their physiological state, which inherently predicts cardiovascular and cardiovascular risk if exposed to an extreme emergency event. There will be a defined cut-off time as an achievement standard, which all personnel must aim to either maintain or better year on year. The second parameter will be to achieve this cut-off time with relatively low physiological strain as determined by each individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart rate recovery and within test heart rate response. These two parameters together will determine the level of remediation required, if either or both standards are not achieved. The course of action if this standard is not achieved is for the training officer: fitness and health (TOFH) to provide counselling for the individual as well as remedial programming based on observed test and results. There will be a self-explanatory three month program for those not achieving the standard, complete with exercise program, nutritional counselling, self assessments and an exercise log to be filled out by the personnel and supervised by the station commander. A retest will be conducted after the three month phase and progress assessed. If the individual is still not 58 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

showing signs of improvement, there will be an added three month phase of intensive training, nutritional counselling and direct supervision by the TOFH. The TOFH will make daily recordings of all activities completed and behaviours encountered of the training session, for his own record and to justify non compliance if any is exhibited. A second test will be conducted after this three month phase and if still not meeting the achievement parameters, then a medical evaluation will be sought. An individual indicated through the point immediately above should not perform any fire fighting functions because if identified risk to themselves and others. This should be seen as a preventative strategy rather than a punitive one. All personnel shall be reassessed every 12 months with the TOFH having authority to randomly run a test related training session with any crew and providing both positive and negative feedback/recommendation to both the station commander and respective division commander on the physical preparedness of that crew. This shall be documented records maintained.

Volume 3 | No 8

Wildfire investigation

Wildfire investigations - the cold case

By Arnold Swart, Chuma Safaris and Conservation Services

This area was burned in a wildfire in 2009. Photo taken in 2013. Origin of fire was against mountain in the background

n this article we look at wildfire investigations focusing on the cold case; finding the course and origin and spread of a fire that has burned in a natural environment.

The preferred method according to textbooks would be to get the investigator or investigation team out to the scene as soon as possible even when the fire is still burning and the first respondents are still on scene as has been explained in some previous issue of this magazine. The objectives of this would then be: 1. To secure the area where it is assumed that the fire has started and start searching for evidence and clues as to the possible causes of the fire. There are different methods of getting the data depending on how cold the case is, up to a point. Remember time destroys evidence as in any criminal case. 2. Speak to first responders and eyewitnesses to get the real story first hand. Volume 3 | No 8

3. Map and collect evidence according to set standards. 4. Draft a proper report concerning their findings together with all evidence, maps and relevant detail. 5. Present this report and evidence to the relevant authorities or legal counsel for action. The work methods are properly set out in textbooks like: • De Haan JD 2007 - Kirk’s Fire Investigation. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River New Jersey. • Goldammer JG and Cornelius de Ronde 2004 - Wildland Fire Management handbook for Sub-Sahara Africa. Southern Africa Institute of Forestry, Menlo Park, South Africa • National Wildfire Coordinating Group 2005, Wildfire Origin and Cause Determination Handbook • Cote AE and Linville Jim L 6th ed, Fire Protection Handbook • De Ronde C and Goldammer JG 2015. Wildfire investigation. Guideline for the practitioners, Global Fire FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 59

Wildfire investigation may be responsible for the start of the fire, how did it spread and who did what to control the fire. The information needed to be obtained and organised in such a method that the legal team can use it in a court of law in arguments and reasoning. It also needs to reflect the truth of the incident as it has happened many years ago and that means that the investigator must be able to be objective in retrieving the evidence and record it as such in a proper report. This is called the cold case.

Albertinia in the Southern Cape. Area burned in 2013, photo taken 2015 Monitoring Centre. Forestry Books Remagen-Oberwinter Germany. • Website: Interfire online - investigating wildfire Many others just do a proper internet survey on the specific topic of the fire data you are investigating. You can, during ‘hot cases,’ crawl on your knees in the black looking for small pieces of evidence, take close up photos, measure up distances and directions, use computer programs; all if you have fresh evidence in front of you. But, in the South African context, you get scenarios where a fire or fires get fought and losses incurred by landowners. They in turn get in touch with their insurance company and or a lawyer. The normal meetings follow and then suddenly five to seven years later, all the issues come to a point and either an arbitration case or a court case is scheduled. This is when they find out that nobody has determined or remember, where did it start, how did this fire start, who

All evidence is gone and even the eyewitnesses are gone or has forgotten about it or confuse fires with one another. The Government agencies that worked on the fire have either not kept records or have lost them with a change in personnel. Or you may be lucky and still receive information from people that were involved with the fire and can trace old data from the weather service. How do you go about finding substantial evidence to present to the legal team? Evidence that will stand up in court; evidence that can be proven beyond reasonable doubt as the true reflection of what has happened so many years ago. The grass and trees have grown again the last three, five or seven rainy seasons and the soot and evidence has washed away. Trees have grown over burn marks and there is no evidence as to which year’s burn marks you see in front of you. In commercial plantations the trees have been harvested already. So let’s start at the beginning. I am a wildfire investigator with about 30 years nature conservation and wildfire experience. I usually get these ‘cold cases’ that are about three to seven years cold. There are always one or more parties that refuse to talk to me when I enquire about certain evidence because of the pending court case and the D date is usually just around the corner. This all spells frustration. Where do you start with the investigation and what information are we looking for, when it is this old and cold? Firstly, the client and or legal team should supply you with everything they have on file related to the incident. You should be led by the requirements of the legal team, focusing on loopholes and the issues that they need answered, according to the summons brief. This should include maps, reports, eyewitness names, landowners and neighbours’ contact details, the case at hand including the accusations or problems that the other party had with your client or who the client is defending. Get proper weather data of the exact date of the origin of the fire, 24 hours before the ignition date and the entire duration of the fire.

Aerial photos from Directorate: Survey and Mapping 60 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

Get hold of a GIS map or satellite image dating back to the time frame just before the fire and then every pass of the satellite. This will help with the plotting of the possible Volume 3 | No 8

Wildfire investigation origin of the fire and also the spread of the fire. Here images of change in land use backdated to before the incident and after the incident could assist. However, this could be costly if the time frame is very long. With the satellite images at hand, go and visit the potential ignition sites and see if ignition and spread would still be possible. Remember that roads, houses and electricity supply lines do not disappear fast and might still be in the area. Trace the eyewitnesses and first responders and try and get them to reconstruct the scene for you as they remember it. Make sure they are talking about the correct fire as fires tend to follow the same patterns every couple of years. There would have been technicians involved should the case include electricity supply lines (transmission and distribution). Try and get their names and any work cards and records dating back to the exact date/s. These are official records and you might have to get special permission to get copies of these work cards and reports. Make sure you have the copies certified at the police station. There would be pilot reports, dispatch notes and incident command planning and operational reports, if there were aircraft and dispatch centres and or an incident command centre involved. It is very important that you get hold of that and very handy in reconstructing the scene on paper.

then store it in a box in the archive. You might not use it for the next five or more years. Then one day a lawyer’s letter arrives and if you do not have the information, that can prove your side of the story, you have either lost it and/ or it is going to cost you a lot of money proving your case. The best solution is to keep as much information and records about each and every incident on your property and ensure your filing system is neat. What information do we need for these cold cases • Maps depicting where, who, what has happened and who did what, when and where. • Personnel records of all personnel and resources, that was at the fire and what their jobs were. • Weather data for example temperature, relative humidity, wind strength and direction. The weather station should be as close as possible to the origin of the fire or at least within the same geographical area. • Maps and description of firebreaks. • Schedules of road and veld management like alien eradication programs, control burns, game or livestock stocking rates in certain camps. • Public access routes and servitudes. • Records and maps of old wildfires in that exact area I hope this has helped with the one big question we always get, “What do I do now to solve this fire case, which everybody forgot about until now?”

Remember that eyewitnesses can include anyone from fire fighters, managers, farmers and their labourers, traffic police, curious onlookers from the local town; just ask around in restaurants, bars, garages, take away restaurants grocery shops, hardware shops. Be patient and make sure these are reliable stories that you can follow up so as to not waste a lot of time. The local community paper archive and journalists are good sources of facts as they would have covered the story. Follow up the information obtained from these sources and verify this to be true, before you put it to the legal team. Landowners or insurance lawyers should get hold of a wildfire investigator first thing. Once the data is gathered and filed it can wait for the case to surface in years to come but at least you have reliable and useful data. Ensure that the investigator knows the specific type of wildfire and the possible driving forces of that type of fuel and fire. There are differences between grass fires, fynbos brush fires, commercial plantation fires, possible arson cases and other possible ignition sources. Ask him/ her for a comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV) before you appoint the person. Thorough training and experience helps a lot in interpreting data and the fire. Keeping records are like insurance. You gather the information every month and every fire season and Volume 3 | No 8

FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 61

Rescue roundup

The six principals of rescue foundation By Neville Van Rensburg, provincial rescue and disaster coordinator, Western Cape Emergency Services

Building strong inter agency foundations

that allows us to appreciate ourselves and the people around us. Principal 3 The third letter is S that stand for selfdiscipline and knowledge. It is so important that we are knowledgeable otherwise how will we know what to do in rescue or understand the changes in technology. We must stay up to date in our different training modules because we might only perform some types once a year.

e all want to become a rescuer. But what does the word rescue mean really to us and what is important of the word rescue. Well, it’s important before we become a rescuer that we look at the six principles of rescue foundation and once you agree with these foundations, you are ready to become a rescuer. We must understand that rescue is high risk work with sometimes life threatening situations and incidents and sometimes there are no second chances. Firstly, we will look at the word RESCUE and how does it fit into our rescue foundation. Principal 1 We start with the letter R that stands for responsibility as all will agree is important for a rescuer but with that it means he or she must be a responsible person. Also, their personal behaviour is important for example, if rescuers behave badly in public, the image will not suit him or her as a rescuer; as they say we must lead by example. It’s also important to understand that on a rescue incident, you are accountable for not just your own actions but also the actions of others. As a rescuer, you have not only the authority to perform the functions of a rescuer but you also 62 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

have a responsibility to yourself, your employer, patients, communities and the other emergency services. It’s also important that we understand that with this comes authority, you need to have authority to be able to perform a professional rescue incident and we must also make sure that if you give someone a task in rescue, that you also give them the authority to fulfil those functions. It also means to complement the service; you need be positive in your work place so that you can be proactive and create an encouraging working environment. Principal 2 The second letter is E that stands for Empathy but to be able to do that it all begins with respect. So for you to be respected, you need to give respect; respect is earned. We need to connect with other people and role players. It’s also important that we care about people; otherwise we will not really have empathy for them. For example, in the event of someone that is poor or homeless that needs to be rescued. We need to have compassion and empathy because they are as human as we are. Empathy is a people skill

We, as rescuers, always need to look at ourselves, our image, attitude, the way we present ourselves, body language and level of knowledge and also what we put into the rescue. Leadership always starts with yourself; first lead yourself before you want to lead other persons or incidents. How we operate and manage the incident and function in our work place, will be the refection of your knowledge, skills and personal image. The information you share and receive is crucial. Information is vital to a rescuer. With the right information, you can make cognisant decisions and be an informed rescuer, which will boost your awareness level. Principal 4 The fourth letter is C and stands for Credibility. Well, firstly, we need to be reliable and it’s important that rescuers are dependable in order to take advice were needed and work in high risk environments. Credibility includes the personal quality of being reliable, dependable or trustworthy. Reliability, trust worthiness and being accountable to rescue organisations and the patient’s care are essential. We need to be responsible for our service to the community and be solid, reliable and ethical. Having integrity of character means that you, as the rescuer, follow your moral and ethical convictions and doing the right thing at all times and during all Volume 3 | No 8

Rescue roundup circumstances. You, as a rescuer, should be true to yourself and do nothing that demeans or dishonours you.

Urban search and rescue exercise, building relationships

The quality of your performance should be consistent. The quality of your performance should be replicated with or without supervision. Rescuers also need to be trusted to perform during very high risk and dangerous incidents. Professional rescue services must prioritise the safety of themselves and those they are rescuing. Furthermore, they also need to lead rescue incidents at any given time. Having integrity of character will enable people to trust or follow them. Personal integrity: • Keep your promises even if it takes extra effort • Never betray a friend’s or rescue team mate’s trust even if you get in trouble • Do not gossip or talk badly about someone in work place • Remain true to your spouse or partner • When in a serious relationship, don’t keep secrets from each other • Do not let someone else take the blame for something you did • If someone gives you confidential information, never tell anyone what you know • When it is obvious to you a relationship is over, don’t drag it out but discuss it openly Integrity in the workplace • Work when you are supposed to and save socialising, snacking, searching the Internet and personal phone calls for break time • Show respect to co-rescuers and other emergency organisations with appropriate conversation and empathy • If you are in management, keep your employees informed so they will know what is coming and what needs to be done • Adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs), policies and procedures • Be responsible. Do what you say you will do • Use materials for work and not personal use • If you make a mistake and a team’s project gets messed up or you miss Volume 3 | No 8

a deadline, own up to your mistake Don’t let teammates take the fall • Work together as a team. This builds trust and shows integrity • If you find yourself in a conflict of interest, get out of it as soon as possible • Don’t accept praise of acclaim for someone else’s work. That includes stealing someone’s idea or pretending to have worked on a successful project • When making a business deal, make sure everything is on the table and nothing was left out Principle 5 The fifth letter is U that stands for Unity. Here, integration is about a rescuer’s ability to integrate rescue systems and operations. It’s also about your behaviour and should be in harmony with the emergency services’ environment. This is especially of importance when there is an amalgamation where one or more

services or departments combine to form a new entity; everybody should work together in order to facilitate a cohesive and unified service. Principle 6 The sixth letter is E that stands for Excellence. It means that we, as rescuers, must always be genuinely caring to patients during an entrapment or other rescue incidents. We must really care for them as we would care for ourselves or our family or expect someone else to care for our family. It is also important that we have strong people skills and build solid relationships as this allows for a trusting and harmonious environment for the people that we serve as well our colleagues and supervisors. Strong relationships create a solid communication platform and understanding, promoting a win-win situation in the rescue environment, resulting in harmony and mutual respect.

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FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 63

Wildfires

So, who is responsible for managing veldfires (wildfires) in the urban interface? By Zane Erasmus, independent environmental consultant

access routes, paths, location of schools, rubbish dumps and so forth.

Part 2

Vegetation types and hazardous fuels such as dense infestations of alien woody plant species, should also be mapped. Look at the numbers of people living in close proximity to the VUI and observe the socio-economic circumstances under which they live. Public fire awareness A well-educated and public is a safe public. Previous wildfire incidents need to be researched in order to establish a fire database

n this second instalment of the four part series of articles by Zane Erasmus, he looks at, ‘How do integrated veldfire management plans for the urban interface differ from others?’ Integrated veldfire management plans (IVMP) will vary significantly based on the type of veldfire urban interface (VUI) that has to be managed. Obviously, an IVMP drafted for a single picnic area within a vast National Park in a Savannah habitat, ie a rural urban interface, will vary quite significantly from that drawn up for a metropolitan area interface. The important thing is that the type of VUI to be managed should be identified and mapped so that the activities, communities and required budgets can be clearly recognised by all role players. IVMPs though, will not change in general structure but should all contain the same basic content. The IVMP is in essence a compilation of separate plans written in the following sequence: Fire prevention plan, fire 64 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

protection plan, and fire suppression plans. This is no different from the fire management plans drawn up for most veld and forest fire situations. The most critical consideration, however, is that due consideration has to be taken of the communities of people and building structures that are present within the VUI. These aspects, when seen in the veldfire management context, require very specific attention. Some of these are discussed in the following plans starting with the fire protection plan. Fire prevention As is often quoted, ‘prevention is better than cure’ and nowhere is this more true than in the VUI. The fire prevention plan would be focused on the following important aspects of planning: History and record of fires in the area Previous wildfire incidents need to be researched and ultimately a fire database needs to be established and maintained. A record of wildfire causes and origin can be researched and a fire hazard map drafted indicating all the areas of high risk. This may include

informed

Managers need to budget and prepare for fire awareness projects in their areas of concern. The focus should be on areas of high risk, for instance it may be school children playing with fire during the school holidays. If this is the case then schools need to be included in a programme launched and run before the start of the fire season. Remember that the community resident in each VUI will vary quite considerably and any awareness campaign needs to be tailored very specifically for that community. As McKrill in a previous issue of this publication has stressed, there is no ‘one size fits all’ for awareness campaigns. Awareness campaigns need to be community specific in terms of material, should have clear objectives, opportunities for feedback, and importantly, need to be part of a “greater and integrated management plan”. Fire prevention engineering Engineering is the term broadly used to describe the manual ‘construction’ activities undertaken to prevent the spread of fire. In the VUI, this aspect has to be addressed on two very specific levels, namely, activities carried out in the veld whereby vegetation is modified in some way to prevent fire Volume 3 | No 8

Wildfires

Modifying vegetation Firebreaks remain the most important means whereby a safe barrier can be constructed between the likely origin of a fire and the area it is likely to spread to. Firebreaks in the VUI may utilise existing structures such as roads or dams or topographical features such as lakes, rivers or dense moist forest. Most importantly firebreaks should not be constructed simply to slow down or prevent the spread of a fire, but should be used as a safe barrier from which counter or back fires can be lit. Municipalities, in terms of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act (NVFFA), like any landowner or manager are responsible for preparing breaks and belts on the residential side of the urban interface and their activities in this respect are non negotiable. Clearing around buildings is essential to increase the possibility of a building surviving a surrounding veld fire. Also called the construction of ‘defensible space’ around a building. This does not necessarily require the removal of all vegetation around the house but only those shrubs, bushes and trees that provide a constant source of fuel allowing the fire to reach a house. Enough vegetation should be cleared to reduce flame height and intensity thereby allowing fire fighters access to the buildings and increasing fire suppression options. Most gardens are planned to provide shade and this quality need not be adversely affected. As a rule it is advised to clear an area of 10 metres around a building of all dead material. In addition, a further 20 metres of heavy fuels could be cleared around buildings if necessary. Special care needs to be taken to ensure that gas bottles and firewood stacks are not stored alongside buildings, especially close to doors and windows. Particular care needs to be taken of eliminating ‘ladder fuels’, whereby fires spread from short grasses, progress to shrubs, pass to higher bushes, and ultimately reach the crowns of trees that have been planted alongside Volume 3 | No 8

Marloth Nature Reserve

buildings. In this way fires reach rooftop height and threaten buildings, especially thatch roofs. Modifying buildings to resist veldfires The fire proofing of all buildings within the VUI is an absolute. It stands to reason, that if a building is built in an area exposed to frequent veldfire, then the materials used, and the style of building should be such that it cannot burn in a veldfire. Research is constantly being conducted into the most appropriate materials to use to ensure a building can survive a veld fire. Managers can acquire this information when attending conferences or by doing their own research. The following general rules always reduce the risk significantly and should form part of any fire prevention plan: • Clear all dry material such as leaves and twigs from roofs and gutters each year prior to the start of the fire season. This will prevent any ignition should burning embers land on the roof; • Remove all tree branches, or vegetation material that overhang or reaches building roofs; • Remove all flammable and dead vegetation around buildings particularly close to doors, windows and under patios or verandas; • Ensure that wooden frames, verandas and decks are treated with fire retardant; • Ensure all roofing materials are sealed and anchored. Corrugated iron sheets should not have gaps or openings, tiles have to be complete

Photo: Ben Swanepoel

spread and construction methods used in buildings to prevent veldfires igniting the building or spreading from the building to the veld.

and all joints sealed; • All eaves should be boxed in. No roof structures should be exposed. Very often embers get into the roof structures and ignite the ceiling boards of houses; • Ventilating bricks or opening should be clear of dry material, and should be covered with sieve material to prevent the sparks and embers from entering structures; • Thatch roofs should have external sprinklers that are tested each year for efficiency; • Chimneys should be covered with sieves to ensure that live embers from fire grates do not land on the roof; • Ensure that all electrical wiring is not exposed above ground; • Ensure that access routes to and around structures are open clear and well maintained. An annual fire risk assessment should be conducted in each VUI every year before the start of the fire season to determine the fire risk. FireWise Community practitioners have developed a veldfire risk and hazard assessment tool since the inception of the FireWise Communities Programme in 2004. The process reflected on this rating form serves as the principal methodology used to assess the veldfire risks and hazards in the FireWise Communities Workshops. The form if used correctly can be used to identify hazards and potential risk but also to make possible intervention measures to mitigate the risks. If used frequently, or even on an annual basis, it can be used to ‘monitor’ the risks and actions related to corrective interventions. FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 65

Leadership

Culture of the emergency services By Wayne Bailey

Wayne Bailey

amous quotes heard in the fire service. When you read them, think of the culture where you work and respond as a fire fighter; • “When working at a new house for the first time, shut-up, work hard and pay attention. I promise that everyone is paying attention to you.” • “For every run: Goal #1 – Everyone goes home safe Goal #2 – Don’t

The ultimate objective in the IVMP is that every building should survive any wildfire incident. People should not have to be evacuated but should also be able to stay safely within their houses during a wildfire. Fire legislation and law enforcement The NVFFA as well as the National Fire Brigade Services Act have been specifically written to manage veldfires and this includes the reduction of wild veldfires that can lead to the loss of property, injury, and all too often even the loss of life. People start 90 percent of the veldfires in South Africa, with the remaining 10 percent being caused by natural ignitions. These figures are 66 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

end up on YouTube.” • “The goal of education is understanding; the goal of training is performance.” • “When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should do about it: admit it, learn from it and don’t repeat it. I often say, crow is easier to eat while still warm.” • “SAFETY has many tools but THINKING is the handle of them all!” • Senior statement; “I’ve been on the job since you were in diapers. Probie’s response; I’ll still be on this job and you’ll be back in diapers.”

I began my service in emergency services in 1975 as a junior. I was inspired to join my department due to my dad’s involvement. The culture that my dad had started helps me to continue his legacy through me today.

When I looked up the word culture, one definition was, “Development or improvement of the mind by training and education.” In the fire service, this is so true. Your training has just begun. Fire fighter I, II and hazardous material classes are the bases for your training. To enhance this training, higher education in a degree is a must.

We were there for our family. We celebrated births by smoking cigars handed out by the new proud dad; we were in each other’s weddings and we carried them to the grave as pallbearers.

Another definition using culture as a verb in the biology field said, “Maintain (tissue cells, bacteria, etc) in conditions suitable for growth.” I take this to mean you got to keep your brain and heart in a good condition to grow as a fire fighter and as a leader.

in all likelihood exceeded in the VUI given the high numbers of people usually resident within an area. Fire managers should thus include in their fire awareness programmes a section on the relevant fire law and the consequences of breaking the law. The cause of every fire has to be investigated. Normally experts conduct ‘origin and cause’ investigations and this is certainly the case when major fires causing significant damage occur. There are a number of veldfire cause and origin investigation courses offered by various professional training institutions in South Africa today. Rob Erasmus in previous editions of

If there was a party at someone’s house, guess what, we didn’t drink because we didn’t want to miss the BIG call. Back then, if you showed up on a call with alcohol on your breath, you were kicked off. How could life go on if I wasn’t able to be running calls with emergency service family?

Part of my emergency service culture growing up was either chewing or smoking tobacco. I was encouraged to take a chew, mix it with chewing gum. Since then, I don’t smoke or chew or go with girls that do. There was smoking allowed in the meeting room on the second Tuesdays. Sometimes it was so bad, you could barely see the chief speaking. You would hear people

this publication has also provided valuable information in this respect. Wildfire cause and origin investigations should be conducted for two very important reasons: • To establish an accurate fire cause history. A meaningful fire awareness programme can only be planned and executed if a manager is aware of how most wild fires are started within the VUI; • Proof of ‘cause and origin’ are fundamental requirements in any legal action taken to recover losses and suppression costs; In the next section we will take a look at fire protection plans as part of the IVMP. Volume 3 | No 8

Leadership coughing that were non smokers. Can you imagine? I remember one lady. We’ll call her Miss Edna. She smoked Moore cigarettes. She was about 100 years old and come to think about, she was probably my age. She would never take out the cigarette out of her mouth. She would walk around with an ash about three inches long and it would fall on her shirt. She used to make a couple cough sounds and use her little finger to wipe the ashes off her shirt and say these things are going to kill me one day. She was right. In later years, the term ‘smoke break’ come into play and everyone went out side to smoke. We had a butt can outside the door. You never threw a cigarette butt on the ground unless you field dressed it. Anyone ever heard this term? How did the culture change about smoking at the fire house? It had to start at the top. The chief had to be the example. He had to put his foot down, made an unwritten policy to stop smoking in the meetings and take it into the truck bays. Next, it was out of the building all together and outside on the sidewalk. Next it was done away with all together on the property. Anyone know of this policy anywhere else like this? For culture change to be made, sometimes you have to crawl, walk before you run. Second, the change has to make sense for people to embrace it. We learned back then that second hand cigarette was dangerous to ones health. The change was not overnight. There was resistance. There was ‘it’s my right to smoke if I want to’. Anytime changes are going to be made, it takes time. In the end, when you make culture changes, there has to be purpose. The why that makes you cry. Sorry to say, sometimes it takes a death of a fire fighter before change is made and accepted. Circumstances like when a fire fighter gets killed in a roll over and he or she wasn’t wearing their seat belt. What culture change is likely to take place at the next meeting? Going into a structure without proper gear and having to be pulled out by a RIT team. Receiving unnecessary Volume 3 | No 8

burns due to the lack of putting your equipment on correctly due to being in a hurry. What’s likely to change? To be successful with cultural change, you have to accept it and that takes time. We’re still resisting the use of seat belts for what ever reason. Before I close, I want to ask you again, What is your why that makes you cry? Think about it. If it’s just for the money, you will never last in this profession. For me, it’s the brotherhood. After today, you can walk in any fire house and say you’re a fire fighter and you will be welcomed in and even offered dinner if it’s meal time. We touch lives everyday. We will respond to someone’s worst nightmare and assist them or their loved one in bringing a smile or relief that help is there. Just remember, who else are they going to call? There is no 912 number to call. Finding a lost child or loved one in the forest and bringing them back to their loved ones alive and well. That’s the why that make me cry to do this job. Extricating a patient from a car that looks like no one could ever survive and to your surprise, they are still alive and due to you and your fellow fire fighter’s efforts, the person is transported to the hospital where they make a full recovery. If ever in need for anything, I can call my fire service family for help.

This reminds me of a story of Joe McKenna. He was a young husband, semi-professional basketball player and fire fighter for FDNY in 1938. He was off one day but he loved the fire service so much, he was hanging out at the fire house. Sound familiar? While he was there, he was polishing the brass pole and ornaments. While polishing a nozzle, he pulled a roll of hose on top of his shoulder by accident. A couple of days later, he started feeling pain in his shoulder and was running a fever. A day or so later, his wife hailed a cab and took him to the hospital. There the nurses and doctors found he had a blood infection. This was three years prior to the introduction to penicillin. The order given for fire fighter McKenna to stay alive was a blood transfusion. It was the hopes of the hospital that this effort would dilute his blood with other blood donors. Guess where the blood came from need to keep him alive. Fire fighters from his fire house and other houses lined up out the door to donate blood to help a brother. I bet you can think of dozens of other ways the brotherhood has come to the aid of one of their own. If not, you will have the opportunity. In closing, What if everyone had the same gifts? How stagnant would we get? I encourage you to find your gifts and focus on them. Remember TEAMWORK... Coming together is a beginning... Keeping together is progress... Working together is success. FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 67

Heritage

The Halligan bar

The Halligan has become the most versatile hand tool for a multitude of fire ground tasks

esigned in 1948, the Halligan bar, a forcible entry tool used by fire fighters and law enforcement around the world, is often referred to as a hooligan tool in various American, British and Australian fire services.

Based on the earlier Kelly tool, the Halligan is a multipurpose tool for prying, twisting, punching or striking. It consists of a claw (or fork), a blade (wedge or adze) and a tapered pick, which is especially useful in quickly breaching many types of locked doors. The Halligan has become the most versatile hand tool that had been used for the past six decades for a multitude of fire ground tasks. History The tool was designed by and named after a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) first deputy chief, Hugh Halligan. Later that year, the first prototype of the Halligan bar was made by Peter Clarke, a blacksmith. Hugh A Halligan (1897-1987) was a fire fighter with the FDNY for 43 years (19161959); he rose through the ranks from fire fighter to first deputy commissioner. Chief Halligan was deeply concerned 68 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

about creating a lighter and safer tool. At that time, fire fighters were using a ‘claw tool’ to force open doors but numerous injuries resulted when the axe hit the rounded bow of the hook end of the tool. The axe would slide quickly to the side and hit the member’s arm or fingers. The Kelly tool was also used in FDNY but it wasn’t the answer to all their needs. Chief Halligan wanted to design a tool that could be held in one hand; one that would not chip or break at a critical moment; a tool that would not fatigue a fire fighter and one that could be used with safety and full efficiency. After many hours of ‘trial and error’, the Halligan bar was born. Chief Halligan designed a multipurpose tool with three workable ends ie adze, pike and fork, all of which could be driven by the axe. History has it that Chief Halligan started a mill and began producing these tools himself. He was a deeply religious man. On the fork of each original Halligan tool, you would see his signature written in script on one prong and “AM t DG” on the other. The initials in Latin stood for “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” or “For the Greater Glory of God.” The small ‘T’ in the centre was

supposed to symbolise a cross. Chief Halligan was a devoted fire fighter who often travelled to other departments on his own time to deliver the tool and teach the members how to use it. Despite the fact that the device had been invented by one of its members, the FDNY did not initially purchase the tool because of a perceived conflict of interest until the legal issues had been resolved. While those issues were being worked out, numerous fire companies went directly to Chief Halligan’s home and bought their own tools to place on their apparatus, using their own money. At that time, the tool cost about $38. The City of Boston Fire Department was the first major customer of the Halligan, purchasing one for every fire company in the city. The tool was popular enough that members of New York ladder companies went out and bought it with their own money until the department ultimately decided to purchase the tool. Design The true Halligan is a forged tool, of one piece construction, available in a number of lengths – typically 45,7 Volume 3 | No 8

Heritage to 137cm (18 to 54 inches) and of various materials, including titanium, beryllium copper or stainless steel. Carrying straps or rings can be found. A Halligan bar and a flathead axe can be joined together (and partially interlocked, head-to-toe) to form what is known as a married set, set of irons or simply, ‘The Irons’. This combination of tools is most common within the fire service. However, the Halligan may also be married with a Halligan hook, sledgehammer or ‘The Pig’ as an alternative. Use Either the adze end or fork end of the tool can be used to break through the latch of a swinging door by forcing the tool between the door and doorjamb and prying the two apart, striking it with a sledgehammer or a flat-head axe. The fire fighter holding the Halligan can use a ‘baseball bat swing’ to sink the pick into the door frame near the door handle and then force the door by applying pressure to the adze. Another option is to use the Halligan to pry the door off the top hinges. The pick and adze, only when properly used provide protection to the arms, hands and body of the holder during forcible entry operation. The Halligan can be used to knock down wall in a house to get to another area or to make a purchase point on a car hood to cut the battery. The point can also be used to break glass on a car or building for access or ventilation. The pick can be placed into the shackle (or eye) of a padlock or hasp and twisted or pried to break it free. It can also be driven into a roof to provide a foothold for fire fighters engaged in vertical ventilation. Using a K-tool and the adze end, a lock cylinder can easily be pulled. The fork end is routinely used to shut off gas meter valves. There are many other uses of the Halligan tool, including vehicle extrication and opening of walls. The tool can be used to pry open the hood of a car when it is jammed from an accident. The Halligan can be used as a step to get up on a window that is at head level or can be tied to a rope and act as an anchor in the window frame, for improvised bailout. Volume 3 | No 8

The Halligan cost about US$36 when launched One variant of the Halligan has a heavy sliding collar on the shaft. Once the prying end of the tool is wedged into position, the sliding ‘hammer’ is used to force the wedge, allowing for proper seating before prying. The adze end is also assisted by using the sliding hammer to generate forced traction on a hooked cylinder. Another variant has an end that resembles a lever-type can opener, used for making large holes for access or ventilation in sheet metal.

The value of the original Halligan tool can’t be understated. Although the tool may have been retrofitted or redesigned by many manufacturers, its basic concept of three workable ends continues to uphold its value to the fire service. The Halligan has help countless numbers of fire fighters do battle on the fire ground and emergency scene every day. Sources: Wikipedia and various others

Hugh A Halligan was a fire fighter with the FDNY for 43 years FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 69

What’s on?

2015 August 24 - 25 August 2015 ATA International 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. Venue: ATA Fourways, Gauteng, South Africa Contact: Melissa Tilma Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: melissa.tilma@ ata-international.com 26 - 29 August 2015 IAFC Fire-Rescue International Conference Prominent fire and emergency service leaders from around the globe come together for 5 days of learning, networking and collaboration at FRI. The conference and expo covers all areas of the emergency service: navigating the political environment, managing change, ethical leadership, EMS issues, career development and more Venue: Atlanta, Georgia, USA For more information visit: www.iafc.org/ 31 August 2015 ATA International 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: ATA - International Training Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia Contact: Theresa Foster Tel: 0264 61 302 931 Email: theresa@ ata-international.com.na 31 August - 4 September 2015 FPASA Fundamentals of fire investigation This course promotes a clear understanding of fire investigation and the rendering of opinion regarding origin and cause. This includes practical investigation exercises and is aligned with NFPA 921. Venue: 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618/9 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za

September 1 – 2 September 2015 ATA International - 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: ATA - International Training Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia Contact: Theresa Foster Tel: 0264 61 302 931 Email: theresa@ ata-international.com.na 2 September 2015 HELPEMT BLS for healthcare provider course

70 | FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

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: Boksburg, South Africa For more information visit: www.helpemt.co.za 2 – 4 September 2015 IFSEC International This event will focus specifically on leading global technology, solutions, knowledge and the latest innovations Venue: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia For more information visit: www.ifsecsea.com/ 3 - 4 September 2015 HELPEMT International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) course An intense 2-day learning experience dealing with the recognition and management of trauma and trauma associated syndromes. The course aims to teach an innovative and structured approach in managing victims of trauma Venue: Boksburg, South Africa For more information visit: www.helpemt.co.za 4 September 2015 ATA International 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: ATA Fourways , Gauteng, South Africa Contact: Melissa Tilma Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: melissa.tilma@ ata-international.com 5 - 6 September 2015 ATA International Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Candidates will be competent to recognise and initiate the management of cardiac arrest and peri-arrest conditions. Venue: ATA Fourways, Gauteng, South Africa Contact: Melissa Tilma Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: melissa.tilma@ ata-international.com 7 – 11 September 2015 Sasol Secunda Chemicals Operations Emergency Management Training Rope Rescue 1 course Sasol reserves the right to cancel courses without notice due to reasons beyond control Venue: Sasol Secunda, South Africa Contact: Isabel Email: isabel.dejongh@sasol.com 9 - 11 September 2015 30th Annual DMISA Conference The 30th annual conference of the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa Venue: Hartenbos, Western Cape, South Africa For more information visit: www.disaster.co.za/ 12 – 13 September 2015 ATA International - 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: ATA Fourways, Gauteng, South Africa Contact: Melissa Tilma Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: melissa.tilma@ ata-international.com

14 – 18 September 2015 Sasol Secunda Chemicals Operations Emergency Management Training Rope Rescue 2 course Sasol reserves the right to cancel courses without notice due to reasons beyond control Venue: Sasol Secunda, South Africa Contact: Isabel Email: isabel.dejongh@sasol.com 14 – 18 September 2015 FPASA Fire prevention and safety strategies This course covers the theory of fire, legislation, use of extinguishers, flammable liquids and gases, hot work, fire hazards of electrical equipment and the organisation and management of fire teams and occupational fire brigades. Venue: 105 Springbok Road, Bartlett, Boksburg, South Africa Contact: Christine van der Westhuizen Tel: 011 397 1618/9 Email: college@fpasa.co.za For more information visit: www.fpasa.co.za 15 – 19 September 2015 EMS World Expo 2015 This expo sets the standard in EMS education, offering the training EMS professionals need to do their jobs today, coupled with the progressive curriculum and technology that provides solutions for tomorrow Venue: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA For more information visit: http://emsworldexpo.com/ 17 September 2015 SAEC Basic fire/fire marshall Training courses run by SA Emergency Care Venue: Modderfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa Contact: Nicole Vermaak Tel: 011 608 0907 19 September 2015 ATA International 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: ATA - International Training Namibia, Ondangwa, Namibia Contact: Theresa Foster Tel: 0264 61 302 931 Email: theresa@ ata-international.com.na 19 September 2015 Emergency Services Awareness Day Action displays by local emergency services as well as a family fun day Venue: Crusaders Sports Club, 10 Ranleigh Crescent, Durban North, South Africa Contact: Gill Austin Tel: 084 209 4970 21 – 22 September 2015 Sasol Secunda Chemicals Operations Emergency Management Training Resuscitation training for vessel entries course Sasol reserves the right to cancel courses without notice due to reasons beyond control Venue: Sasol Secunda, South Africa Contact: Isabel email: isabel.dejongh@sasol.com 21 – 22 September 2015 ATA International - 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.

Volume 3 | No 8

Venue: ATA - International Training Namibia, Ondangwa, Namibia Contact: Theresa Foster Tel: 0264 61 302 931 Email: theresa@ ata-international.com.na 24 - 26 September 2015 2015 Hazard Zone and Leadership Conference Venue: Phoenix, Arizona, USA For more information visit: http://bshifter.com/conference_2015.aspx 24 September 2015 ATA International 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: ATA - International Training Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia Contact: Theresa Foster Tel: 0264 61 302 931 Email: theresa@ ata-international.com.na 25 – 26 September 2015 ATA International - 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: ATA - International Training Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia Contact: Theresa Foster Tel: 0264 61 302 931 Email: theresa@ ata-international.com.na 26 - 27 September 2015 ATA International 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. Venue: ATA Fourways, Gauteng, South Africa Contact: Melissa Tilma Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: melissa.tilma@ ata-international.com 28 September 2015 Sasol Secunda Chemicals Operations Emergency Management Training Basic Petrochemical Fire Fighting course Sasol reserves the right to cancel courses without notice due to reasons beyond control Venue: Sasol Secunda, South Africa Contact: Isabel email: isabel.dejongh@ sasol.com 29 - 30 September 2015 Sasol Secunda Chemicals Operations Emergency Management Training Intermediate Petrochemical Fire Fighting course Sasol reserves the right to cancel courses without notice due to reasons beyond control Venue: Sasol Secunda, South Africa Contact: sabel Email: isabel.dejongh@sasol.com 30 September 2015 ATA International 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: ATA Fourways , Gauteng, South Africa

Volume 3 | No 8

Contact: Melissa Tilma Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: melissa.tilma@ ata-international.com

October 1 – 2 October 2015 Sasol Secunda Chemicals Operations Emergency Management Training Resuscitation training for vessel entries course Sasol reserves the right to cancel courses without notice due to reasons beyond control Venue: Sasol Secunda, South Africa Contact: Isabel Email: isabel.dejongh@sasol.com 1 – 2 October 2015 ATA International Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Candidates will be competent to recognise and initiate the management of cardiac arrest and peri-arrest conditions. Venue: ATA Fourways, Gauteng, South Africa Contact: Melissa Tilma Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: melissa.tilma@ ata-international.com 5 October 2015 ATA International 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: ATA - International Training Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia Contact: Theresa Foster Tel: 0264 61 302 931 Email: theresa@ ata-international.com.na 5 – 7 October 2015 Fire India Indian economy is witnessing a multi-faceted development and growth, which in turn entails greater investment in fire protection and safety. Fire India 2015 offers business opportunities to the fire industry worldwide Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India For more information visit: www.fire-india.com/ 5 – 9 October 2015 FPASA Fire appliance reconditioning Course will 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, 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 6 – 7 October 2015 ATA International - 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: ATA - International Training Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia Contact: Theresa Foster Tel: 0264 61 302 931 Email: theresa@ ata-international.com.na

6 – 10 October 2015 International Mines Rescue Body (IMRB) conference IMRB conferences are an opportunity for mine rescue experts from around the world to meet peers and share on innovations, trends and practical experience Venue: Hanover, Germany For more information visit: imrb2015.de 8 - 9 October 2015 ATA International 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. Venue: ATA Fourways, Gauteng, South Africa Contact: Melissa Tilma Tel: 011 450 4981 Email: melissa.tilma@ ata-international.com 12 October 2015 ATA International 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: ATA - International Training Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia Contact: Theresa Foster Tel: 0264 61 302 931 Email: theresa@ ata-international.com.na 12 October – 11 December 2015 Sasol Secunda Chemicals Operations Emergency Management Training Fire Fighter 2 and Hazmat Awareness course Sasol reserves the right to cancel courses without notice due to reasons beyond control Venue: Sasol Secunda, South Africa Contact: Isabel Email: isabel.dejongh@sasol.com 12 - 16 October 2015 6th International Wildfire Conference Hosted by Korea Forest Service and the Korea Forest Research Institute, the conference will consider ways to limit the damage to forests caused by wildfires including through exchanging knowledge and experiences and strengthening the Global Wild Land Fire Network. It will have a particular focus on the links between fires in forests and cultural heritage and practices. Venue: Alpensia Resort, Pyeongchang, Gangwon, Korea For more information visit: www.wildfire2015.kr 9 – 11 October 2015 REAS Emergency Exhibition The leading fair in Italy for the emergency sector focuses on internationalisation as the key to further growth and development. Venue: Centro Fiera di Montichiari, Italy For more information visit:www.reasonline.it

November 1 – 6 November 2015 The 30th biennial SAESI conference Conference, exhibition and training events to facilitate inter-agency engagement to build resilient communities Venue: Expo Centre, Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa For more information visit: www.saesi.com/

FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL | 71

Poem

3-4-3 It’s funny how people remember us From that fateful day As the heroes who climbed the towers Passing workers on the way They see the footage of us in the lobby Preparing for the haul The look on our faces, they say Surely says it all “They knew they were going to die“, They tell each other “You can see it in their eyes as they Greet a fellow brother” They fail to realize it’s not uncommon For us to show our fear But we never allow the fear to stop us We just keep each other near We may be proud, we may be brave But suicidal, we’re not We take many risks to do our jobs Giving all we’ve got They think we know it’s a death sentence As we enter the lobby door Unaware that not a man here among us Had not been here before As we walk through the valley of death again That old familiar place We can’t accept that we’ll leave our souls And feel death’s cold embrace If we had known we would never come out We’d have never gone in Fearing and knowing are two different things So we hold our doubts within As we climbed up the stairs floor by floor Searching zone by zone It was saving lives that was on our minds Not giving up our own

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The Angel of Death is our frequent companion A feared and lethal foe But when he’s here for one of our own How are we to know We’re trained to push things to the limit On each and every call We’re well aware that lives are on the line And we may sacrifice all We live with this throughout our careers Through every single shift It hangs in the air like a shroud of fog Which we can never set adrift Some think it’s merely words when we say We risk our lives for you But we take this fact into account In everything we do That day in September in 2001 Was no different in our eyes We could not have known what devastation Was raining from the skies We look down from above as our brothers Desperately search “the pile” They have no idea that we’re finally at rest They’re still in denial Our bravery that day seemed beyond belief In the eyes of humanity But the fact is we’ve faced our mortality before Though you may question our sanity We were merely men doing the job we loved Down to our last breaths We remain merely men in the scheme of it all Even after our deaths By Tom Kenney Copyright 2007

Volume 3 | No 8

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