On March 21, 2019 FPAAC conducted its first quarter technician training at a shipyard in the Portland area. The training involved over 75 participants and took place in conjunction with a Navy crew and vessel. This training was the result of many hours of hard work in partnership between the US Navy’s USS Coronado and the officers and firefighters of Portland Fire and Rescue’s Station 24.
Objectives for the day included:
1. Solving simulated communication difficulties and ensuring the ability to relay relevant information to the IncidentCommander (IC), Operations (Ops) or other companies operating in or around the ship during communications difficulties
2. Discussion on accessing the scene of an incident; securing the scene on/around the incident so that vessel can be safely boarded if necessary; positioning fire apparatus so that hazards are avoided and access for later arriving vehicles is not unnecessarily blocked.
2. Review and implementation of proper procedures for:
Accessing a ship,
Verifying a ship’s request for assistance,
Quick vessel stability assessment,
Contacting the appropriate ship’s officer or representative,
Gathering and relaying appropriate information on the type,
Assessing the size and complexity of the incident,
Determining crew member accountability, and
Determining the status of the vessel’s extinguishing system(s).
Portland Fire & Rescue’s Foam Unit 24 (FU 24) was utilized as part of the Technician’s ongoing education of foam resources available in the region.
Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Boat 6 and Vancouver’s Fire Boat Discovery were used as a resources for waterside safety, RIT and water supply if needed. The communications between the Command Post, Operations and the Technicians was tested with stationing the fire boats in the best positions to meet those objectives.
