The FPAAC fourth quarter Technician Level training session was held on November 21, 2019 at the Temco grain export facility in Kalama, WA.  Twenty five participants attended the one day training that focused on the Port of Kalama’s industrial sites.

Deputy Chief Sammy Brown, Cowlitz County Fire District #5, (Kalama) welcomed the group and gave a brief overview of the day’s activities and schedule. 

Participants became familiar with the Port of Kalama access points, staging areas; the facilities; types of vessels present; access equipment; firefighting capabilities; water supply; securing the scene on/around the incident so that vessel can be safely boarded if necessary; fire apparatus positioned so that hazards will be avoided and access for later arriving vehicles will not unnecessarily blocked. 

Participants engaged in verbal discussions regarding the proper procedures for accessing a ship, verifying a request for assistance, quick vessel stability assessment and contacting the appropriate ship’s officer or representative.  Discussion focused on gathering and relaying appropriate information on the type, size and complexity of the incident, determining crewmember accountability and the status of the vessel’s extinguishing system(s) to the Incident Commander.

The use of foam equipment for the exercise required participants to use proper techniques for deploying foam from shore, through a pumping apparatus (engine) and discharge foam onboard the vessel. Empty totes were filled with water and no actual firefighting foam was used in the training.

This quarter’s training featured guest speakers including:

• Temco’s Matt Huffman played a significant role in developing the day’s events and started with a mandatory safety briefing. 
• Liz Newman, Port of Kalama’s Public Information Officer who gave an overview of the port’s operations.
• Temco’s Plant Manager, Tom Rodman gave us a presentation on the operations of the facility.
• Kalama Emerald Chemical – Tim Hislop gave an overview of their operations.