Every summer season before everyone goes home we have a major incident, where we act out a scenario putting our emergency skills to the test. This is mainly for the benefit of the in coming winterers to give them hands on practical experience of dealing with a life threatening situation that could happen when you least expect it. No one knows when it's going to happen, where it's going to happen or indeed what is going to happen, that is decided by the Station leaders and doctors. It is all carefully planned out with the outgoing winterers acting out the scene using fake blood and sporting some very nasty injuries.
The winterers who are not involved in the acting are used as observers, strategically placed at various locations to see everything. Armed with pads, pencils and cameras they take notes and pictures of the event in order to give a detailed report and raise points at the de brief.
This is how the incident went;
Script 1: A foreign aircraft has just radioed an emergency, they have suffered engine fire with loss of fuel. The pilot estimates 20 minutes endurance and is 10 minutes from Rothera at Cape Jeremy, there are 3 people on board, they will attempt a landing at Rothera.
Script 2: The plane attempts a landing on Rothera runway one eight, yet is blown off course to crash on North Beach, fire from fuel drums surrounds the entrance to New Bransfield House. Inform all stations it is not safe to muster at New Bransfield house. The fire is blocking the entrance and extending along the walkway, the aircraft with 3 people on board is not on fire but filled with smoke a little way of North Beach.
So i was in the kitchen preparing morning smoko, the time was 10:15am when the major incident was instigated by the first script. Mike Brian our Station Leader asked for level 3 cover (Boats and Breathing Apparatus) and the general alarm was sounded. I turned everything off, pulled boiling pans to the side and went to the fire control board and tagged myself in. The second script was sounded (no muster at NBH) The fire truck was sent to the scene, the power was cut to NBH and we had to muster at OBH (Old Bransfield House)
The boat (Nimrod) was on the water ready for SAR (Search And Rescue) and the first fire was extinguished. The medical team were wanted at the aircrafts fuselage, where the first casualty was found. The fire team were getting ready to go into the container and the surgery had been fully set up
Paul Samways our winter Station Leader was continuing the muster call and ticking names off, not everyone was accounted for. Once everyone had been accounted for there was no more effort to tackle the fire.
patients were being taken to the surgery where first aiders were assisting Tom Doc and others were assisting Jen Doc who was still at the scene with one of the casualties on a spinal board. Everyone was told to stay clear of the span as it contained lithium batteries that could explode. The next thing was to send Vicky to do a runway check for damage as the Dash 7 was coming in, it was deemed serviceable and therefore the Dash would be used to take all ill patients north.
Every injured party received good treatment and were being observed every 10 mins, all were stable and ready to be Dashed out. There was one fatality and all were informed about their dead friend.
I was radioed to go to the square table in Old Bransfield House to talk with the powers that be on how we plan feeding for the station, as the kitchen i was working in burnt to the ground. It would not be a problem as we still have a disused kitchen in Old Bransfield House with food stocks in OBH and in Fuchs. We could cook on primus stoves, the station could go for a month allowing for station evacuation or better kitchen plan.
Mike Brian the Station Leader Instigating the
Major Incident from the Control Tower
The Fire truck comes over from the Hangar
The fire at New Bransfield House
Everyone musters at Old Bransfield House
Fire Truck setting up the hoses
Make believe crashed plane fuselage smoking
Fighting the fire at NBH
Cooling the fuselage
Getting nearer
Opening door and getting ready to go inside
More Preparations
Going into the smoke filled fuselage
Dragging casualties out
Taking the injured to a safe distance where they can
be treated
Jim quickly taking a much needed fire control board
to the fire controller
Steve acts as fire controller checks radios and sends
the guys in to search for bodies
They find one and bring him out
Preparing a second team
They find a spanish speaking lady
(Nadia, played by Kate)
who is injured and screaming for her boyfriend
Medics get to her and calm her down, difficult when
she doesn't speak english. Great acting Kate!
First aiders setting up the surgery, with more on
their way out to the scene
Jen Doc treating Captain Jack Striker (Nelly)
at the scene who has open fracture to right leg,
burns on left leg and possible spinal injury
Nadia (Kate) Spanish speaker, no English 36% burns
to arms and legs needs medivac
Jen Doc and Julie treating Nadia (Kate)
Starting CPR
Jen back in the surgery, treating a patient, with the
help of two first aiders, Denzil and Zac
Tom and Maz assist Tom Doc treat Captain Jack Striker
It was a good major incident and highlighted a lot of important stuff, the de brief after was very interesting listening to the observers put their points across. It all finished at 11:40am, from start to finish took 1 hour 25 mins the main problem for me was lunch was being served at 12:00 and after all that excitement people were really hungry. Luckily Lewis stepped in and finished it for me, which was a real surprise because he was the one that died and got put in a body bag and left in the laundry.
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