First line of defense is preparation

BY NADINE ARMSTRONG

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

A fire inside Minas Basin Pulp and Power, or any manufacturing plant for that matter, could have catastrophic consequences. So there is something to be said for preparedness in diverting potential disaster.

Minas Basin was thinking ahead when they helped to coordinate a massive onsite training exercise with the Hantsport Volunteer Fire Department Sunday, Oct 19.

In total, 14 departments from all over Kings and Hants counties participated in a mock scenario that day because, with a sizable structure containing hundreds of employees inside, nothing can be left to chance.

Realistic scenario “The goal of the training exercise was to test several facets of a fire response to the mill,” said Hantsport Fire Chief Paul Maynard. One of the most critical of test subjects was search and rescue. “The basic scenario was a response to smoke and possible fire in the plant with missing employees,” Maynard said.

This reporter was invited in to observe first-hand some of those training scenarios. The hub of Minas Basin is like a maze to any newcomer, but shut out the lights, add some fake smoke and you literally can't see the person standing right beside you. It's frightening, to say the least.

One section of the mill was shut down to accommodate the exercise and dummies were laid out as stand-ins for human victims. “This is what it would be like for firefighters to come in here and have to search for employees who might be injured,” said Hantsport Captain Tim Hazel. “You could trip over someone lying injured before you even see them.”

But in this case, firefighters and emergency responders weren't left in the dark. They were given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the mill’s layout before going in for the real thing.

The rapid intervention team (RIT) was on hand as well to test its response to a firefighter emergency, as well as the Personal Alert Safety System, or PASS. The main objective of RIT is to rescue other firefighters.

When a firefighter is immobilized an alarm will sound, making them easier to locate in the dark. The role of some participants was to lay low, stay still and wait for RIT to find them.

Maynard said the value of that team was proven quickly as the scenario involved several missing firefighters who were located and removed from the building in less than 12 minutes.

Coordinated line of defense

Still, in terms of getting that potential fire under control, there needs to be a coordinated line of defense. It was important, Maynard said, to consider the overall safety and accountability of firefighters, working in and around the plant. Part of that includes knowing where best to position hoses and aerial devices.

Maynard said within mere minutes of the mock alarm at Minas Basin, firefighters were on the scene. “Crews quickly evaluated the situation as a team and began the search of missing employees while establishing fire suppression within the building itself.”

With water being the main ingredient to fighting fires, Maynard said establishing a ready supply was real bonus. A new source was trialed for the first time from the former town water reservoir, which contains over two million gallons of water. “This proved to be an excellent back-up source of water in the event of a major fire in the Hantsport Fire jurisdiction.”

At the end of the exercise participant response was positive. “We were extremely pleased with the outcome of this exercise and how well our firefighters, both in Hantsport and surrounding communities, responded to this training exercise,” Maynard said.

The department also reviewed response and safety upgrades with the safety team at Minas Basin to see what areas could be improved for any future response. “We were very fortunate to have the support of the Minas Basin team, who assisted and accommodated us throughout the process and continue to work to enhance safety for their employees through infrastructure and exercises similar to the one held last week. We will continue to meet with their team to review and enhance safety procedures on a regular basis,” Maynard said.