Moreton in Marsh

9 May 2005

Authors : Edoardo Cavalieri d’Oro, Sonia Noci, Gilberto Giunti, Fabrizio Priori, Davide Fratantonio, Ilaria Scifoni, , Rosario Caccavo, Roberto Paoletti, Alessandro Giribaldi.

Vigili del Fuoco

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Presented by Edoardo Cavalieri d’Oro

Institutional Tasks of the Italian National Fire Brigade

• Technical Rescue prescribed by law 469/1961, including dangerous situations caused by the use of nuclear energy

• Civil Defence, prescribed by D.Lgs. 300/1999

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SINCE 1961 we operated with conventional scenarios on chemical and petrolchemical plants (i.e. Seveso)

At the BEGINNING we were operating with few specialized units (Milan,Venice, Rome..)

..but NOW we need to apply this knowledge and experience to non-conventional scenarios

Vigili del Fuoco

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Italian National Fire Brigade

Regulation 6, May 2002

Focused on the need to improve the capabilities of CNVVF toward non-conventional scenarios:

Organization

Procedures & Education

Personal Protections & Equipments

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Organization - Goals

Regulation 6 focuses on two different goals

Territorial Coverage

HighlySpecialized Staff

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Organization - Skills

The Italian VF response to non conventional threaths

is based upon the following classifications:

• Four different skill levels

• Three different operational levels

Operational Level Skill Level

Regional Nucleus Level 3 (Operational/Management)

Provincial Expertise Level 2

Base Team Team Chief Level 0-1

Operators Level 0-1

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Organization – Levels 0,1

Level 0 & level 1 skills:

• First Operations at the Scenario

• Risks Acknowledgement

• Zoning

• P.O.S. (Standardized Operational Procedures..)

• Use of Individual Protective Systems and Equipments

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Organization – Level 2

Level 2 skills:

• Analisys of the Capability to Operate in Complex Scenarios

• Adequate use of all Equipments

• Reporting and Documentation

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Organization – Level 3

Level 3 skills:

• Operational: Acting in complex scenarios by means of personal Protective System & Technical Equipments

• Management: Coordination & Cooperation with the Police and the Emergency Rescue

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The Current NBCR Response Accounts of…

• More than 20 non-conventional

exercises per year

• 6 non-conventional international exercises

• All operators skilled at least with level 0

• Equipments & Personal Protection Systems available at every fire station

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Firefighters’ Operations in NBCR Accidents

RISK EVALUATIONRISK EVALUATION

THE CHOICE OFTHE CHOICE OF

1) REFERENCE SCENARIOS1) REFERENCE SCENARIOS

2) REFERENCE EVENTS2) REFERENCE EVENTS

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1) Reference Scenario:

1.1. Recovery without dispersionRecovery without dispersion2.2. Dispersion in confined zoneDispersion in confined zone3. Environmental contamination3. Environmental contamination

2) Reference Events:

A.A. Release without fire or explosionRelease without fire or explosionB. B. Release with fire or explosionRelease with fire or explosionC. C. Recovery of dangerous substances Recovery of dangerous substances without without

(or with remote) risk of release (or with remote) risk of release

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Scenarios Evaluation Table

1° 2° 3° 1° 2° 3° 1° 2° 3°

Confined

Unconfined

Confined

UnconfinedC. Recovery of dangerous substance without risk of release

1° scenario : recovery without release;2° scenario : confined release;3° scenario : ambiental contamination.

B. Release with fireor explosion

A. Release withoutfire or explosion

Scenario

Chemical BiologicalNuclear/ Radiologic

Event

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The Procedural Model

The EIGHT STEPS ModelThe EIGHT STEPS Model

Intervention Tecniques

ZONING and DPIsZONING and DPIs

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The EIGHT STEPS Model

11 – Site Control – Site Control22 – Substance Identification – Substance Identification33 – Dangers and Risk Analysis – Dangers and Risk Analysis44 – Evaluations of the Instruments and DPI – Evaluations of the Instruments and DPI55 – Coordination of Information and Resources – Coordination of Information and Resources66 – Control and Containment of the Substance – Control and Containment of the Substance77 – Decontamination – Decontamination 88 – End of the Intervention – End of the Intervention

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- Waiting Area for Authorities, Media..

- Nobody (forbidden area)

-Command Unit- Firefighters with ordinary protection - Health workers with ordinary protection

- Decontamination- Firefighters with NBC protection- Health workers with NBC protection

- Only HAZMAT team Full protection

WIN

D

Command Unit

- Not Dangerous- Operating

- Potentially Dangerous - Operating

- Dangerous- Operating

- Dangerous- Not Operating (Not Accessible)

- Not Dangerous - Not Operating

DECON

ZONING – Areas of Intervention

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DPIs and ZonesVigili del Fuoco

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Protective suits

YELLOW ZONE

Protective suits

ORANGE ZONE

Protective suits

RED ZONE

NBCR Protective Clothing

SUITS

NBCR Machines and Instrumentations

DETECTORS

SPECIAL VEHICLES

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SuitsVigili del Fuoco

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•The protective suit type 3•The protective suit type 1a-ET

VOC Detector - Volatile Organic Compound

Command Unit Vehicle

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Detectors and Vehicles

NBCR Activity: Some Pratical Examples

• 3 Simulated Exercises

• 1 Concrete Example

• We here report 1 Simulated Exercise complete of analysis of the events: The so called Termini 2004 Exercise

Exercise S. Giorgio 2004 Exercise S. Giorgio 2004 Subway StationSubway Station

Scenario: Bacteriological Attack

Subway station:• Station: -12.80 m• First floor: -8.81 m.

30 people involved

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Red Zone 2004Red Zone 2004 Civil Defence Exercise Civil Defence Exercise

Scenario: A small explosion followed by smoke release. The smoke expands rapidly within the ground of a sport center where two teams are playing volleyball.

Location: Modena, “Palazzo dello Sport”

Civilians involved: 14 players fell to the floor, some of them fainted

The managers of the two teams alert immediately the health service: “118”…

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Mall Auchan Olbia 2004: Mall Auchan Olbia 2004: a True Experiencea True Experience

14:40: ten people within a mall start coughing and having problems with their throats

14:45: The team arrives and in three minutes realizes a toxic agent could be in the pipes of conditioning system

All the information available are sent to the Control Room that is going to communicate the event to the provincial NBCR Regional Nucleus, to the Officer in charge and to the Commandant…

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The Exercise Termini 2004: The Exercise Termini 2004: Vigili del Fuoco

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The Simulated Scenario

Attack with nerve agents in a mall located in the

basement of the Station

Termini is a railway and underground station

located in the middle of Rome

The Location

People involved in the ExerciseVigili del Fuoco

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• 250 People contaminated or casualties• whose 20 contaminated and unable to walk The Resources we made use of:

• 90 Firefighters divided into:• 24 operators wearing the protective suit type 3• 12 operators wearing the protective suit type 1a-ET

• 34 Vehicles

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Hazmat Detection & ConfinementHazmat Detection & Confinement 1 C.Sq. 2 Operators1 C.Sq. 2 Operators

Hazmat RescueHazmat Rescue 1 C.Sq. 5 Operators1 C.Sq. 5 Operators

Secondary Technical Decontamin.Secondary Technical Decontamin. 1 C.Sq. 5 Operators1 C.Sq. 5 Operators

Primary Technical DecontaminationPrimary Technical Decontamination 2 C.Sq. 7 Operators2 C.Sq. 7 Operators

Mass Decontamin. with ShelterMass Decontamin. with Shelter 1 C.R. 8 Operators1 C.R. 8 Operators

Mass Decontamin.with Pneum TentMass Decontamin.with Pneum Tent 1 C.R. 9 Operators1 C.R. 9 Operators

Logistic for hazmat operationsLogistic for hazmat operations 1 C.R. 4 Operators1 C.R. 4 Operators

Logistic and SupportLogistic and Support 1 C. Sq. 3 Operators1 C. Sq. 3 Operators

Command and Control Command and Control 1 Comm.nt 2 Eng. 1C.R.1 Comm.nt 2 Eng. 1C.R.

Mobile Control CenterMobile Control Center 1 C.R. 2 Operators1 C.R. 2 Operators

Telecommunication LaboratoryTelecommunication Laboratory 1 C.R. 3 Operators1 C.R. 3 Operators

VF Resources by Functions

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BUS

RED ZONE

DECONTAMIN.STRETCHER

LOGISTIC AREAMASS DECONTAMINATION

on SHELTER

TECHNICAL DECONTAMINATION

PRE DECONTAMINAT.

AREA

MASS DECONTAMINATION

WITH TENTS

Station’s Zoning

COMMAND & CONTROLCENTER

ORANGE ZONE

YELLOWZONE

Technical coordination

Stretcher

Tents

Shelter

Logisticcoordination

Termini 24.03.2004 ; 1:30Vigili del Fuoco

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Command Center

Tasks - SchemeVigili del Fuoco

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Coordination and Command Area

Coordination and Command Area

Logistic and Support

Logistic and Support

Mass Decontaminat.

Mass Decontaminat.

Technical Decontaminat.

Technical Decontaminat.

Logistic NBCR

operations

Logistic NBCR

operations

PrimaryPrimary

SecondarySecondary

Tents for stretchers

Tents for stretchers

Pneumatic Tents

Pneumatic Tents

ShelterShelter

NBCR Operations in Red Zone

NBCR Operations in Red Zone

Technical Primary Decontamination

Emergency Showers

• Installation Time: 10 minutes• N° Operators: 2-3• Decontamination Rate : 30 - 40

person/hour

• Installation Time: 10 minutes• N° Operators: 2-3• Decontamination Rate : 30 - 40

person/hour

Secondary Decontamination

Shelter

Installation Time: 20 min

N° Operators: 3

Decontamination Rate: 20 pers/h

Installation Time: 20 min

N° Operators: 3

Decontamination Rate: 20 pers/h

Secondary DecontaminationTent for mass decontamination

Installation Time : 45 min

N° Operators: 10

Dec. Rate: 40-50 person/h

Installation Time : 45 min

N° Operators: 10

Dec. Rate: 40-50 person/h

“Self-inflatable” Pneumatic SystemThe system can be installed by means of an electric pump or oxygen bottle.

C

B

AA – Undressing AreaB – Shower AreaC – Dressing Area

3D Inside View of the Decontamination Station

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A note about the equipment: used for people unable to walk

Some of the stretchers had been modified by installing wells and big handles in order to use it by means of a single operator

A. Stretchers

A note about the equipment: used for people unable to walk

B. Shower for Stretcher

Installation Time: 10 min

N° Operators: 2

Installation Time: 10 min

N° Operators: 2

A note about the equipment: used for people unable to walk

Useful to carry on two casualties in case of long path. It has also been used to transport materials or as an anchorage for the “recovery system for escalators”

Installation Time: 5 min

Installation Time: 5 min

C. Power Truck

Analysis of the Exercise

Kit NBCR installed on the APS (fire truck vehicle) (Circ. 6/2002)There are some issues related to their collocation aboard :• Absence of dedicated slots aboard • Storage methods for suits (within boxes that are going to be exposed to the ray

lights? DuPont is actually conducting some aging tests in order to verify possible damages to suits and equipments)

• Storage Methods for the equipment (The breathing apparatus is suggested to be stored within the range 15-30 °C)

Suits type 4 (Circ. 6/2002)• It would be necessary (Circ. 6/2002) to use this suit together with the

suit 1a ET (There are more disadvantages than benefits).• Suits in “sontara” are going to solve the experienced difficulties

Zoning, Cooperation with other aiders, communicationsVigili del Fuoco

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Sticker Detector (Circ. 6/2002)The current equipment isn’t useful because stickers showed a low

adherence over time. We ordered a set of new generation stickers whose properties can be summarized as it follows:

• Increased in Size• Improved sticking properties• An higher sensibility in terms of number of different agents

detectable • Similar detectors but for the biological risk detection are also

available in the marketplace

Vest and Saline Integrators• A comfortable and useful option is given by the vest with

pockets that can be worn under the suit 1a ET This solution allows to keep useful tools within reach : radio, demister, lights, saline integrators, etc.

• In order to increase the operators efficiency it has been tested that saline integrators can be assumed during operations. The operators wearing the 1a ET suits did not face problems by assuming integrators inside the suit.

Analysis of the Exercise

Summary of the NBCR ActivitiesCommon Problems:Recognition of the NBCR scenario faced by the operatorsThe first call to the health service: better procedures are requiredFirst incoming VV.F. team is often inadequately protected: better

descriptions of the possible scenarios are required

The operators suffer of a physical ad psychological stress

It is needed to:

• Substitute operators during the intervention

• Saline integrators,

• Comfortable suits that are going to allow movements and that are going to access work tools.

Organization and zoning!

Things that always worked:

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MoreTon in Marsh May 2005

(THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!)

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