What agency led the training?
Westmoreland County Community College Public Safety Training Center who provided a Pennsylvania State Fire Academy instructor and who serves as a district fire chief. This training is part of our annual team scheduled refresher training that is conducted at our station and is open to all fire departments in the county.
Where was it held?
Westmoreland County Hazardous Materials Station 800, Greensburg, Pa.
What was the set up time?
Ten minutes
How many were trained?
Eight.
What hazmat levels were the trainees?
Technician.
What were the training objectives?
Refresher on confined space protocols and rescue with limited personnel.
What evolutions did trainees do?
Multiple command discussions on readings presented. Trainees were given the readings as would be provided at the opening of a confined space. Also the use of another real-world device to determine a simulated unknown substance present at the opening of the confined space. The decision-making process to consider ventilation tactics and survivable space was discussed.
What technology was used?
Simulated with the HazSim devices and an MSA 5-gas with PID and/or HCL. We also used a RedWave XploriR ID 908 device to make trainees determine if any unknown substance were at the entry point, to detect those substances in a timely manner, and to measure the overall time they required to arrive at a confirmation and decision for the entry tactics.
What were the biggest successes?
New questions on the amount and type of equipment that is available in the district response area. The fundamentals of lock out/tag out were reinforced. Several new industrial spaces in our district were discussed that were not previously known.
What would you do different next time?
Bring in municipal water treatment personnel and other private confined-space rescue personnel to have collaborative discussions and training together to reveal gaps in a coordinated response.