Tunnel Incident Management in Frankfurt am Main - Fire Department s Operations -

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1 Tunnel Incident Management in Frankfurt am Main - Fire Department s Operations - Jens Stiegel Fire Department of the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany INTRODUCTION Fire Department of the city of Frankfurt am Main The municipal fire department consists of about 650 members of operational staff. These are divided in approximately 800 members of the professional fire department, 800 members of the voluntary fire department and 50 inspectors of the department of fire prevention. In addition to that, about 200 people work for the department as administrative staff and technical employees. The Department is led by the Chief of Department, Prof. Dipl.- Ing. Reinhard Ries. Every day, there are 86 people on active duty, assigned on 3 engines, 7 ladders, 25 ambulances, MIC- Unit, EMShelicopter and different types of special units and incident command vehicles. These units are assigned to actually 0 fire stations. In the next years the number of stations will increase to 2. The special units include two heavy rescue units, with one of them specialized on accidents on railway- systems, a highangle rope rescue unit, a water- rescue unit, a HAZMAT- unit, a mass casualties unit, an AR unit and an animal- rescue unit. Some of these units are permanently staffed like the heavy rescue units, the hazmat unit, parts of the water rescue and the mass casualties unit, others are operated by a corresponding engine or ladder unit. All engine and ladder units respond to support the special units in operations. The incident command system is based on four levels from A- D. Starting on the lowest with level D, this is the commanding officer of an engine or special unit. Level C includes 4 battalion chiefs in a 24 hour tour, with 2 additional battalion chiefs weekdays on the day tour. Level B includes 2 division chiefs, one responsible for the eastside and the other one for the westside of the city. An additional division chief is on duty on the day tour of the weekdays. The highest planned officer on duty is the commanding officer on level A, the citywide tour commander. He is responsible for all actions according to the Fire Department and the EMS in the whole city. The voluntary fire department runs 28 stations all over the city and completes the professional fire department at more comprehensive incidents and at calls in their response area at weekday s nights and on the weekends. CoD (LD) CTC (A) Division (B) Division 2 (B2) Division 3 (B3) Batt.(C) Batt.2(C2) Batt.3(C3) Batt.4(C4) Batt.5(C5) Batt.6(C6) Eng. (D) E 2- (D2-) Eng.3 (D3) Eng.4 (D4) Eng.5 (D5) Eng.0 (D0) E 2-2 (D2-2) Eng.30 (D30) Eng.40 (D40) Eng.52 (D52) Eng. (D) Eng.20 (D20) Eng.3 (D3) Eng.4 (D4) Eng.53 (D53) Eng.2 (D2) Eng.54 (D54) 375

2 BASIC FACTS AND EQUIPMENT Fire and rescue response unit in Frankfurt am Main The basic unit for the response on fire and rescue operations in Frankfurt consists of a command vehicle, two engines and a ladder truck. EMS units are added as and when required. Every engine is staffed by an officer, an engineer and four firefighters. The command vehicle includes a chief and his aide, the ladder is operated by two firefighters, acts alone or supports one of the engine companies. BF Fire and Rescue response unit City of Frankfurt am Main ELW 0 2 C- Di FüGeh 0 5 HLF 6 LZ Stand: DLK HLF 6 StF Fa AF AM WF WM TF Fa StF Fa AF AM WF WM Equipment of the attack- team Each engine has two attack teams that are both equipped with protective gear, SCBA, tools for forcible entry, hose lines and nozzle, escape hoods for possible victims, a rescue rope, a flash light, a handheld radio and various accessories like webbings or keys for hydrants, standpipes and elevators. In addition, the first team on every engine carries a thermal imager. Breathing apparatus In tunnel operations the Frankfurt Fire Department uses SCBAs as well as rebreathing apparatus. Both systems are equipped with a radio system that transmits data like the actual pressure and the remaining operating time to the engineer. Also an evacuation and an emergency signal can be transmitted via that connection. The rebreathing apparatus are allowing an operating time up to 4 hours. Each ladder carries three of them, additional apparatus will be provided by the HAZMAT- unit. Rapid intervention team Every time an attack team is entering a building using SCBAs a rapid intervention team will be provided. If an engine first arrives on the scene alone, the second SCBA team is used as rapid intervention team for the first minutes. With the arrival of the second engine, the first team of the second engine will be the rapid intervention team because this team is also equipped with a thermal imager. The number of firefighters in the rapid intervention team is always adjusted to the size of the scenario, so it increases at larger scenes. Operations in the metro system differ as described later on. 376

3 Fourth International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, March 7-9, 200 Heavy rescue unit For rescue operations in the tunnel system the Frankfurt Fire Department uses two heavy rescue units. These vehicles are two- way vehicles that can operate on roads as well as on railway tracks. Operation on the tunnel track lines is only intended on scenarios without fire. The main purpose of the vehicle is to bring all the heavy rescue equipment to the scene of the accident and work as a transporter for possible victims. The vehicle is provided with different hydraulic jacks, grounding devices and other heavy rescue equipment. In case of a tunnel fire the heavy rescue unit supports the engine companies by conducting the grounding measures and with the special knowledge they have about the metro system. E- powered railway trolley For the transport of firefighters, equipment and victims on the tunnel tracks, the Fire Department uses some electrically powered railway trolleys. The trolley is deployed by four firefighters and operated by one FF as a driver. The top speed is between 0 and 5 km/ h (6 0 mph) depending on the load to carry. The trolley has a breaking system and is used in metro as well as railway tunnels. 377

4 Fourth International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, March 7-9, 200 Mass casualties unit For incidents with a huge amount of victims the Fire Department of the city of Frankfurt am Main is operating a mass casualties unit. Part of that unit is a container system which carries tents and medical equipment like heart defibrillators, oxygen and huge amounts of dressing material and pharmaceuticals. The mass casualties unit is able to treat up to 500 victims. OPERATIONS AT TUNNEL INCIDENTS Dispatch policy, tactics and incident command The operational concept for a fire scenario in the Metro system defines that the following units will be dispatched to the incident station: 4 engine companies 2 ladders the HAZMAT unit the heavy rescue unit 2 battalion chiefs division chief the citywide tour commander other, additional units like the mobile ventilators or the Mass Casualties unit will be dispatched as and when required. To each of the neighboured stations the command and communication centre would deploy an additional engine company and an ambulance. 378

5 Furthermore a central staging area will be defined to supply additional units and equipment either to the incident station or the neighbour stations. The citywide tour commander would take over incident command after arriving at the scene. He is supported by a mobile command centre. Another chief might be dispatched as traffic liaison officer to the control centre of the metro operator. Incident Commander (AC) Div.- Chief Incident Station Entrance Entrance 2 Staging Area Neighbor station Neighbor station 2 EMS Batt.-Chief Batt.-Chief Batt.-Chief Company officer Company officer Batt.-Chief LNA OLRD UA VC UA TA Tactics on scene, modular concept Basing on the scenario, an operational approach on an underground fire has to be highly flexible. To achieve this, Frankfurt Fire Department decided to develop a concept of modular operational tasks, which are able to complete each other on scene. Each single module is carried out by the complete crew of an engine company (officer and four firefighters), which gives the whole system also the required level of internal safety for the operation in the underground area. A total of four modules were defined, each engine company is able to carry out every single one of them, basing on the decision of the incident commander. These modules are: Module : Investigation and initial fire suppression Module 2: Water supply platform Module 3: Water supply tunnel Module 4: Fire suppression tunnel Modules and 2 operate under normal SCBA whereas Modules 3 and 4 use rebreathing apparatus. The company officer additionally carries a 200m guideline Module Basically, the first module is carried out by the first arriving engine company. The main tasks of this module are a quick investigation of the situation underground and eventually first firefighting procedures. The most important task for them is to give a quick report about the situation and the underground conditions to their commanding battalion chief so that the next modules could be deployed for further tasks with no delay. 379

6 If the underground fire conditions couldn t be managed by the use of the available hydrant which is always the case if the fire has developed from its initial phase or if the fire is located in the tunnel system, the first module creates an equipment depot next to the first hydrant. Afterwards the module leaves the platform while evacuating the platform area and the means of egress from any possible victims being left there. The way to the depot is marked by the guideline of the company officer. Module 2 The second module is responsible for creating a water supply from an engine upground to the platform. The manifold should be located next to the equipment depot. Afterwards the second module also leaves the platform while supporting the first module with the evacuation. In this way, minimum a total of ten firefighters are available for searching the platform area and running the evacuation procedures from down to the top. The second module carries at least eight hoses (20m long, 75mm diameter) and the manifold. Hoses, that are not needed for the platform water supply will be put at the equipment depot. 380

7 Module 3 The task of the third module is to extend the water supply from the manifold on the platform into the tunnel. As mentioned before, the use of rebreathing apparatuses is mandatory for all procedures inside the tunnel. For this purpose in Frankfurt every ladder truck is equipped with three rebreathers, so that the third module could be deployed even if the HAZMAT unit that also carries the rest of the rebreathers is not yet on scene. Apart from that, the equipment of the third module is the same as of the second. When the manifold in the tunnel is set and the water supply is ready for use, the third module could be used to support the fourth module at the rescue and firefighting operations. Module 4 The fourth module is carrying out the rescue and firefighting procedures in the tunnel. For that purpose the module uses the firefighting equipment (attack hoselines, nozzles) that the first module has put in the depot before. Also this module brings a portable ladder for opening and entering the Metrocars and different portable lights to mark the positions of the manifolds and to improve the illumination in the tunnel system. Finally again, a total number of at least ten firefighters are in the tunnel to start the fire and rescue operations. TRAINING Concept and implementation The modular concept was developed in the second half of In 2009 all operational members of the Fire Department should be trained by the Fire and Rescue Academy in applying the concept to the different possible scenarios. The first challenge for the Fire and Rescue Academy was to find a suitable place to conduct the training sessions. Fortunately the operator of the Metro system (VGF) agreed to support the 38

8 project and allowed the Academy to use a not needed part of the tunnel system under the main central station as a training facility. The VGF also equipped the now so called Training Tunnel with an inactive Metrocar. From that point on the Fire and Rescue Academy was able to develop and provide an adequate training program for the members of the department and managed to put nearly 95% of the operational staff through the training sessions in Part of the program was also grounding procedures as well as entering techniques and an educational part about the technology of the trains. VGF also allowed the Fire Department to use the tunnel training facility in the following years. LIST OF REFERENCES AND FURTHER INFORMATION A list of references is available at the author. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to write me an at jens.stiegel.amt37@stadt-frankfurt.de KEYWORDS: Tunnel Fire Operations, Fire Department, Frankfurt, Training 382