Fire incident controllers training

In order to ensure the safe evacuation of people in the event of fire it is not possible merely to rely on building design, adequate means of escape, fire alarms, emergency lighting, etc. In all but the smallest workplaces it will be necessary to have staff that have been trained to assist with emergency evacuation. Specifically those people responsible for fire safety within buildings and outside venues will need to consider the provision of fire wardens/marshals, crowd safety stewards, fire alarm verifiers and fire incident controllers. 

Emergency action helps reduce the severity of an incident. Emergency action may take several forms, for example, evacuation, rescue, emergency communications, treatment, and recovery. Emergency action requires the use of specially trained teams (fire brigades, spill response teams, etc.) and special equipment (fire protection systems, spdl containment equipment, flood control equipment, communication systems, medical emergency equipment, etc.). Chapter 29 discusses emergency actions in more detail. 

CHEMTREC received a call from a railroad reporting a train derailment. The report stated that derailed tank cars contained sulfuric acid, a naphtha/xylene mixture, and residue of silicon tetrachloride. It was reported that an unknown amount of product was leaking from the rail cars. Adverse weather conditions in the area were hampering response and evaluation of the incident. CHEMTREC faxed MSDSs to the local fire department and to the nearest poison control center and arranged a conference call between the shippers, the fire department, and railroad representatives. 

If an emergency is declared, the Emergency Response Team (ERT) will take control of operations. There must be one person, the Incident Commander, who is in charge of the team— usually the Offshore Installation Manager (OIM). He or she has total control over all operations and activities on the facility. The ERT will consist of selected employees who are specially trained to respond to fires, explosions, helicopter crashes, and other potential disasters. 

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