HAZMAT Response: ARFF Capabilities

Are you in an Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ie, ARFF) unit?

Is your unit's primary mission solely to respond to aviation incident and disasters?

To what extent does your ARFF unit respond and gets itself involved when it comes to "unique" situations?

These are some of the questions you'll need to ask yourself if you're a real ARFF responder. Seriously.

I recall my early days in my ARFF involvement, when I was briefed on our unit's roles, response and capabilities. Throughout the training, I was often drilled to respond soley (and mainly) to aircraft incidents, and a lesser aspect with regards to structural fire scenarios. Had it not been for my earlier training with the local city civil defence where structural fire-fighting and special incidents' response was part of my bread and butter, I'd probably be shivering right now, thinking of what flies on board those passenger and military aircraft on a daily basis.

Having basic knowledge of hazardous materials' response (HAZMAT) versus full experience and response know-how does make a BIG difference to life and death not just to your clients, but also to your fellow fire-fighters.

Having HAZMAT suits and owning the latest detection and monitoring device is just one part of the response and mitigation formula. Having adequate knowledge as well as practical training and full competency forms the greater part of this common sense equation.

Because of this sole reason, I'm therefore a serious advocate when it comes to drills relating to HAZMAT response. Not just doing the basics, but right up to foreseeable multiple HAZMAT scenarios.

What about your organisations'?

What is your response capability to HAZMAT incidents?

Fire Fighting Cats?

Yes it's true. No, you're not dreaming.

But can they do it the way professional fire-fighters can?

Well, it seems in an article I read by "Asian Security Review", the Potala Palace located in Lhasa, Tibet has been marked as a major fire risk due to its architectural design and construction, which consists mainly of wood. You can bet it's highly combustible considering the grandeur in its design, as well as the quantity involved.

In fire engineering terms, it can be classified as a high fire risk premise, owing to its high fire load.

The site has ben identified as UNESCO in 1994 as a World Heritage Site and has since then, had a resident team of fire-fighters on high alert during the dry season. But what about the cats? What's it got to do with them?

Well apparently back in 1984, a fire occurred as a result of an electrical short circuit. Owing to the lack of immediate response capabilities, a portion of the site was badly damaged, only after the resident monks and nearby residents assisted in the fire-fighting intervention.

As these sites usually have mice in these areas (yeah, you know it was coming to this didn't you?), there exist a "threat" where they would end up chewing on the wiring insulation and thereby enhancing the fire risk exposure. Do you fire-fighters chasing after rats or mice in your neighbourhood? Neither do they in Tibet.

Now we know what the cats are for... "MEOW"

The Selection of Elite Fire-Fighters

There was a recent media coverage regarding the training of "elite" fire-fighters in Singapore. This was to allow the general population to understand how the whole process of selecting elite fire-fighters are done.

To be specific, it's the selection of D.A.R.T. personnels. Or, better known as "Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team" personnels.

For those who belong to this unit, or know of anyone from this unit, it is understandable that one will link such persons to rescuers who are determined, alert, sharp in thinking skills, highly innovative (in sourcing for alternative rescue tool and making use of natural elements to aid in rescue operations), and so on and so forth. But above all, one who is superbly fit, not only physically, bot also mentally as well.

The coverage mentioned that the selection involves a streneous series of tests involving carrying multiple lengths of hoses over certain distances, hoisting of large sized dummies (not easy if you're of Asian frame-sized) over certain heights, navigating through confined spaces, wading through simulated flooded basements, and many others tasks.

But here's the kicker: all within a continuous period of 28 hours!

As a fire-fighter myself, I have not personally been subjected to such selection tests, but I can imagine this maybe the reality when called upon to respond to a large scale nationa-wide national emergency.

What's your view?

Recruiting, Training, And Maintaining Volunteer Fire Fighters