A new era in water safety: the Watersafe 2003 event encompassed a strategic level conference,...

CFBAC Water Working Group (WWG) Chair Denys Rama announced to delegates that Chapter Five of the Fire Service Manual Safe Working Near, On or In Water which deals with training has been revised since last year's conference (see FIRE Oct 2002). He related to delegates that he expected the chapter

He stressed that different levels of training standard still exist, but that the WWG seeks to set a minimum standard for training to comply with to satisfy the law. Mr Rama related that there is still much work to be done on guidance on PPE for water working, however he expects it to be published in October, while guidance on water rescue craft would also be delivered to an October deadline. He expects the rescue craft guidance to be quite prescriptive, covering joint working, rescue skills, night working, search procedures and equipment including PPE, which is sometimes craft specific.

Looking to the future Mr Rama announced that the WWG will develop guidance on animal husbandry and rescue, mud and ice rescue, canals, helicopters and sub-surface search and rescue. Moreover, the CFBAC is committed to funding full time working groups on each topic, which will include the enlistment of specialist officers. He identified the new era of water safety as characterised by increased partnership working between rescue agencies and others such as the Environment Agency, and announced that the WWG is currently examining suitable locations nationally for cross agency exercises.

HMCIFS Sir Graham Meldrum looked forward to the forthcoming White Paper, intimating to delegates that it would include statutory provision for water safety. Moreover, he highlighted how the professional approach adopted by the Service towards water safety would be echoed in the White Paper's definition of the new wider role of the firefighter.

Speaking on rescue craft, Deputy Divisional Inspector Richard Wynn, RNLI, described the use of jetskis and hovercraft to supplement the traditional lifeboats and RIBs, suggesting that they may be particularly suited to inland water rescue as they offer low wash and have a low draft. He also highlighted the dangers associated with unclean floodwater. Accident Prevention Manager Peter Brown, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), also reminded delegates that the 12 search and rescue helicopters available to the MCA also operate inland, and should be considered in risk assessment.

Sussex Flood Defence Manager Rupert Clubb, Environment Agency, cautioned that floods are not just a winter problem, becoming more common in summer months. He highlighted the dangers of floodwater constricted by buildings in urban environments which can result in swiftwater conditions--relating an incident in which a lifeboat had been sucked under a bridge.

Conveying that more than 235,000 properties are at risk from flooding in the South East alone, Mr Clubb characterised the EA's role as supporting its operational partners with flood warnings and other services. He described the EA's nationally available Flood Explorer CD which provides electronic mapping of flood-plains and roads likely to be cut off, which is useful in getting to an incident. Moreover he outlined the ongoing work of flood risk mapping, relating that flood risk maps are available nationally from the EA. He also urged delegates to consider the pollution dangers involved in flooding incidents, with dead animals, fuels and solvents escaping from unsecured bunds, and sewage spreading when attending flood incidents. He described the EA's need to consider the recovery stage even as early as en route to a flooding incident.

Peter Cornall of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) described the current lack of comprehesive data available on inland water incidents, and the INREM project which aims to redress this balance. In particular he highlighted the lack of data on injuries and 'near misses' relating to water incidents. Relating that 50 per cent of drownings occurred on inland waterways, most of which were in urban areas, he described a seasonal peak in drownings during the summer. More worryingly he told conference that most of those drowned can swim--asserting that just teaching people how to swim was not enough. In closing he announced that the INREM project's website is soon to go live and urged delegates to contribute their organisations' data to the INREM project, and to use it. His call was echoed by HMCIFS Sir Graham Meldrum, who identified the particular need for near-miss data.

Characterising the new era in water safety as "an immense opportunity to save lives" CFO Ken Knight, West Midlands Fire Service, described a vision of pan-emergency response to water incidents. He asserted that the Fire Service has "grasped the nettle" pointing to the publication of the manual, the formation and work of the WWG and the Watersafe forum.

CFO Knight contended that the leaders of the services must agree their roles to give clear understanding to all of the features of the joined up nature of the response to water safety. He called on delegates to draw on the experience of joined up working gained in responding to RTAs, highlighting the essential role of local liaison in supporting a national agreement document. Going further, he outlined the essential elements in best practice to achieve joined up working as:

* Joint pre-planning;

* Role clarification;

* IPDS competence;

* Joint equipment provision;

* Joint training;

* Effective first responder arrangements;

* Community safety education;

* Integrated risk management planning; and

* Data capture and analysis.

Responding to CFO Knight's presentation Denys Rama announced plans to introduce a series of interactive CD Roms to reflect each level of training, supported by paper products. Paul O'Sullivan, Director of Rescue 3 (UK) was quick to point out that video and CD training must be backed up by instructor input, citing awareness level training as an example where it is difficult to deliver as it is such a broad topic.

CFO Ken Knight disclosed that Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice and went on to assert that drownings predominantly occur in urban areas and often within the same socio-economic groups as those most at risk from fire. He went on to advocate the use of an education programme similar to the preventative approach used in community fire safety.

The need to educate communities in the dangers associated with water became more apparent as Dr Frank Golden outlined the risks associated with immersion in water, dispelling the myth that most water deaths are caused by hypothermia.

Hypothermia takes time to set in, while most deaths in water occur within minutes of immersion. The main causes of death from immersion in water are cold shock (characterised by uncontrollable breathing which may result in inhalation of water leading to drowning) drowning due to splashes and swim failure (due to the delayed effects of cooling).

Dr Golden also outlined the dangers of secondary drowning for 'near miss' cases. This occurs where water inhaled damages the lung, resulting in fluid from the body cavity filling the lungs. Indeed, he recommended that any casualty rescued from water who has inhaled water should be taken immediately to hospital for monitoring.

Echoing CFO Knight's comments, Dr Golden contended that, as survival once immersed in water can be measured in minutes, rescue must be quick, and indeed most can not be rescued because of this, 90 per cent of people can be helped through awareness education not rescue.

EXHIBITORS:

Blizzard Protection Systems

Crewsaver

DS Developments

EP Barrus

Fleetwood Offshore Survival Centre

Gecko Head Gear

IC Brindle & Co

Interspiro

Land Marine Products

Markus Lifenet (UK)

Medtronic

Mullion Manufacturing

Outreach Organization

Palm Equipment International

Robin Hood Watersports

All speakers' presentations from the Watersafe strategic conference are available on our on-line service at: www.fireinternational.net