Issue 56 - New Zealand Fire Service

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Incidents Saved by the sprinkler In the Bay of Plenty recently there was a fire in a large packhouse and storage complex that left only a scorch mark. The sprinkler system had saved the jobs of 600 people, protected nine buildings and avoided the waste of hundreds of thousands of litres of contaminated water. Fire Safety Officer Jon Rewi says it’s the first time he has seen the results of a fire that had been contained by a sprinkler. “It’s very rare for Fire Safety to be called in afterwards because there’s no real damage. I doubt if many firefighters realise the significance of what has happened and in this case the brigade was only too glad to have a quick turnaround and be able to get back to their jobs.” The sprinkler kept the flames in one place and down to a two metre blaze until the Te Puke brigade arrived. All that showed afterwards was a smoke mark on the wall. “The whole shed was filled with packaging and dry wooden crates all within a metre of the flames. There are around 40 packhouses in this area and this is the only one that has sprinklers.” He will be using this example to show the other packhouse owners just what the benefits are of a sprinkler system. “If there hadn’t been one, this whole complex would have gone up in flames – there would have been no saving it.” Jon knows the other side of the story only too well. He was stationed at the Trentham Fire Station and provided advice to the Upper Hutt Cosmopolitan Club when it 14 Issue No. 56 was renovating its building. The club decided not to install sprinklers due to the cost. Shortly after the renovated building re-opened it was reduced to rubble by fire. Within days, the Cosmopolitan Club management met with the Fire Service for advice on the systems they should prioritise when rebuilding the club and it is now fully sprinkler-protected. Jon said the example of the Bay of Plenty kiwi fruit packhouse fire is something all Fire Safety Officers can use when discussing the benefits of sprinklers with building owners.
Think safety Look out for the new, flasher and easier-to-follow model for carrying out a dynamic risk assessment during an emergency. All firefighters learn how to make this assessment as part of their Safe Person Concept training, but it’s been several years since it has been reviewed to make sure the system is working well and fits with current demands and incidents. Operational Standards Manager Brian Davey says the review of the Safe Person Concept is now finished. “We took account of various recommendations from accident investigations, operational reviews, overseas experiences and comments from a number of operational staff. The final result hasn’t changed the concept or the principles of dynamic risk assessment but we have developed simpler methods for explaining the thought process and decisionmaking that is used.” The Safe Person Concept balances the need to carry out inherently risky fire suppression and rescue tasks with the need to maintain everyone’s safety. The dynamic risk assessment process is used by the senior officer at the incident to make sure all tasks, and everyone’s actions, take account of the risks and manage them safely. There are new diagrams for both the Safe Person Concept and the dynamic risk assessment model. These are included in the refreshed training material and will be rolled out this year to everyone undergoing recruit, qualified firefighter and officer training. A scenario model will also become part of the OSM module. The training itself will change to foster more discussion and an in-depth understanding of the concept and the process. “The end result is that everyone at the incident will have more certainty and confidence when they put the ideas into practice,” said Brian. The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine Proceed with tasks (continual process) Dynamic Risk Assessment Evaluate the situation, tasks and persons at risk Select strategy AND tactics Carry out risk assessment of tactics Are the risks proportional to the benefits? Yes No Can additional control measures be introduced? No Consider alternatives Implement control measures and reassess tactics Yes DO NOT PROCEED Staying Safe February 2010 15
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Page 3 and 4: Cutting Edge Technology Rolling out
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Page 9 and 10: The New Zealand Fire Service Magazi
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Page 13: Each year, between 800 to 1,000 vol
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Issue 56 - New Zealand Fire Service

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