HVFS returned to training for the 1st time this year on 9th January with our training officer having a different exercise planned for us all. We went off station to have a go at running out/ rolling up hoses, sinking standpipes and correct communication when operating the standpipe, and of course having a play at being on the end of the branch, with an exercise to follow that our truck was on fire, so RIMU4928 got a very good cleaning before returning to station.
Much fun was had by all and totally enjoyed the exercise, a great way to kick off 2012

Photos to follow

Theme: Command & Control

QFF Alex Roberts reports:

QFFs Key, Vlieg, Chambers and Roberts along with SSO Bedford attended the 2011 Ngongotaha Fire Camp in Rotorua over the last weekend in October.

Our group was split up into different watches - Blue, Brown, Red and Green, and put to work with volunteer Fire Support crews from all over the Bay/Waikato area. Crews were mixed so we worked alongside people we had only just met. It is fair to say that there were a few teething problems when the event started about 1930 on Friday but by the finish on Sunday at 1400 the composite crews were well oiled machines and new friendships had been formed.

It was a very exciting, challenging and tiring event with 20 or so scenarios completed by the 4 Fire Support crews alongside 40 volunteer fire crews (also composite) over the weekend. Crews were on the go for almost 60 hours with call outs (scenarios) happening in quick succession. Sleep was taken when down time occurred, with scheduled sleep times 0200 – 0500 Saturday and 0001 – 0430 on Sunday.

Scenarios included rescues from Lake Rotorua, missing persons, road crashes, medical first responding, trapped persons, structure fires, bush fires, car fires, suspected IED devices and gas leaks to list just a few.

Challenges included, getting to know your crew – both fire fighters and support, operating with unfamiliar equipment and vehicles in a new town (GPS saved the day more than once), acting as crew OIC (Officer in charge)– liaising with the pump's OIC, assimilating information, giving orders and making sit-reps. All in a MIPS like environment with little sleep!

I’m pleased to say we all survived the event and came away with a greater understanding of Command and Control procedures. We are all a lot more confident in using radio fire ground communications procedures. Having worked closely with fire fighters in a pressure cooker environment we also have a better understanding of how they are likely to operate in various scenarios, this will help us to better assist our local crews.

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QFF Bruce Key reports:

QFF Ingrid Vlieg reports:

It was with a mixture of trepidation and excitement that the five of us set off for Ngongotaha with "Are we there yet?" almost immediately becoming the quote of the day. When we arrived at the Ngongotaha Community hall, we registered and had to opportunity to meet the participants from other brigades and inspect the "fleet". After some time we were separated into our watches - Red, Blue, Green and Brown and departed for our "stations" which were also our accomodations. By then we had met our Fire Support and Fire Police counterparts from other units or brigades. I was in Brown Ops and our vehicle was affectionately referred to as Little Flick. After setting up camp, we returned to the Hall for dinner, various briefs and then the calls began.

At first there was a noticable sense of "us and them" between the Pump and Ops crews and for the first five calls my watch was involved, we were barely acknowledged by the rest of the watch or Fire Comms and the onus was on us to attach or K38 ourselves to the calls and often draw on our own experience and initiative. This changed during the course of the weekend as the scenarios grew more complex and the value of Fire Support, Fire Police or Ops or even Special Ops as we were started to be known by. In particular Brown Ops showed our value in setting up safe arrival points, guiding ambulances, setting up helicopter landing areas, and setting up relay comms to enable rescue crews to communicate with Base in a Search and Rescue scenario, and of course the bus versus truck accident scenario where all Ops crews had to quickly leave the formal dinner as we had a dual role of closing SH5 and diverting traffic to enable the scenario to be set up before moving into our actual Ops support roles. Unfortunately Brown Ops could not land a helicopter due to low cloud so we ended up diverting traffic - illustrating how flexible Fire Suppport personnel can and have to be. Some of the Ops crews were also tasked with lighting he scene and assisting the "casualties".

As someone who has always self-responded from my own vehicle, responding as a crew in a Fire Service vehicle was a novelty and initially a challenge as some very hasty revision of K codes was called for! There is some advantage in being able to communicate to Comms through the LMR and then with eachother to plan some sort of advance strategy before arriving at the incident which can save precious time. Having the opportunity to successfully assume the OIC role was a real highlight for me as I had very little previous experience in this role (Thanks SFP Stanley Pittams, Brown Ops scenario manager, CLAIRE, Bob and Brian for this!)

The final day was somewhat sad as I prepared to say goodbye to some wonderful new friends - both firefighters and Ops - but I was also pleased that I had the opportunity and fired up to use what I have learnt on this Camp - and unfortunately the next camp there is two years away. After a debrief and farewelling the remaining personnel at Ngongotaha Fire Station we set for long drive home, complete with an ice-cream stop to keep our own SSO Bedford quiet. We all agreed it was a great and worthwhile experience, in a different way for all of us.

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Go to the offical Ngongotaha Fire Camp 2011 website

Images courtesy of QFF Megan Chambers & QFF Bruce Key

Ngongotaha Fire Camp Logo owned and designed by Iain Breadmore. Displayed with his permission.

Hutt Valley Fire Support members had the opportunity to attain or refresh their First Aid skills. The course started early on Sunday morning at the Kilburnie training centre. The weather intervened shortly after class started and several had to leave to attend a flooding call on State Highway 2, near Melling. However they returned late morning and training resumed.

Topics covered included recognising levels of consciousness, CPR, use of medical oxygen tanks to administer oxygen therapy, bag masking, operating a defibrillator and assisting someone who is choking. After practical exercises to allow members to become competent in these tasks, some realistic looking real-life situations - a motor vehicle accident scene, a coronary event, and smoke inhalation and burns scenario - were arranged to practise these skills.

CPR compressions.

Saturday 12 June saw the Hutt Valley Fire Police Unit host Fire Police and Operational Support staff from Featherston, Greytown, Wainuiomata and Wellington's various Fire Police and Operational Support Units at the Messines Army Centre, Trentham, for a day of training particularly focussed on the skills and knowledge required by support personnel.

The full day of training covered a variety of areas including:

• Fire Legislation
  
• The Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS)
  
• Salvage
  
• Knots
  
• Traffic Control
  
• Scene Protection
  
• Fire Safety & Promotional Resources
  
• Safe Person Concept
  
• Land Mobile Radio and Incident Ground Communications
  
• Lighting
  
• Proceeding to Incidents
  
• Health & Safety
  

Photos and more after the jump....