Training Debrief: Memphis, Tenn.

Hazmat Training Debrief will give you a quick recap of interesting hazmat training going on. This week we look at recent training conducted by Scott Luciano, from Specialty Response Solutions , with members of the Memphis (Tenn.) Fire Department.?

What agency led the training?

City of Memphis Fire Department???

?Where was it held?

Memphis Fire Academy

What was the set up time?

Setup time on site would be approximately 1.5 hours. I met with the chief in charge of special operations the day before to see their setup and learn about what meters they were hoping to simulate.

How many were trained?

6

What hazmat levels were the trainees?

Hazmat technician and instructor

What were the training objectives?

• Understand the buttons of the handheld and the tablet
• Turn on the handheld and tablet and connect via both internet and cellular
• Select a meter and skin and then manipulate readings for the handheld user
• Ask questions through the tablet and document user knowledge
• Build questions, sensors and meters using both the tablet and the website
• Add users, questions, sensors, and meters through the website
• Troubleshoot common errors with connectivity and other problems

What evolutions did trainees do?

Students operated the handheld in a classroom setting to look for carbon monoxide. The sensor readings were adjusted to demonstrate vapor density, sensor response time, cross sensitivity and permissible exposure limits.

Trainees developed a scenario where they were looking for a strange odor. Using two separate meters, (Altair 5x and single-gas chlorine), handheld operators searched for the source of the odor.

What technology was used?

HazSim Pro 3.0

What were the biggest successes?

The class was able to operate the handheld and tablet in several scenarios. They were also able to build meters to simulate what they may have in the field. One of the real benefits was that the instructors could manipulate readings to duplicate their experiences in the field. Unlike other simulators that are proximity based, the instructors could show the results of moving too fast through a contaminated area or not sampling at the gas density layer for a specific chemical.

What would you do different next time?

Unfortunately, I had not used the 3.0 system for long enough to anticipate some of the issues. Two of them that we found were:

• The camera was defaulted to off on the website. Once we turned it on, we were able to add additional meters and document behaviors on the tablet.
• With little cellular service inside the classroom, we opted to use WiFi. Although, during the test, it showed we were connected to the WiFi, we were not connected to the internet. The WiFi had a firewall that required you to accept terms in order to use it. Because of the programming, we were unable to accept those terms that would have shown up in a web browser.

Original Article Here