Smoke On The Water

Day 2

We donned our full fire gear and B.A. Sets again today and as an added bonus, gas tight chemical suits, which completely isolate you from any potentially harmful/lethal fumes, acids and alkalis.

Hence the need for the B.A.

We would be entering a building where an unknown substance had been spilt and as a team of 2 we had to locate the area where the spillage occurred, identify the substance involved, contain the spill and place the damaged container inside a secure spill bin and remove it and ourselves back out into the open.

That done, the other team, who had cordoned off the area around the incident, to ensure no-one entered the restricted zone, then proceeded to decontaminate us by using the fire hoses to spray us down while we were still suited up, front, back, sides of suit and soles of boots too!

Then, as there is no guarantee that you are 100% contaminate free we had to help each other peel our chem suits off without touching the exterior.

A job well done!

Now that we were sweating just a little David our instructor took all four us over to The Hot Box, a system of freight containers all linked, a couple joined by a small tunnel.

Again in teams of 2, we had to follow a predetermined route to look for 1 of 2 casualties and if possible retrieve them and bring them back outside.

No Chem suits this time just B.A. Sets.

No significant rise in temperature on first entering the block but as we neared the casualty we had to pass a pile of wooden pallets which were burning furiously. The air temperature in here was 150+ and even though we were well suited and booted, we could feel it!

Unprotected, you would literally begin to melt!

Well dear reader, we made it out safely but I'd go back like a shot.

All I can say is, don't give fire a chance, it mightn't return the favour!