Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Veloicaza | SINGAPORE (Feb. 17, 2016) - Fuel specialists and first responders from the British...... read more read more
SINGAPORE – The Environmental Department for Navy Region Center Singapore (NRCS) along with members of the British Defence Singapore Support Unit (BDSSU), conducted their annual Facility Response Training (FRT) Exercise Feb. 17, 2016, to hone spill response techniques and capabilities.
The NRCS Environmental Department hosted and sponsored the two-day certification course which included an in-class training session and a practical application phase for both first responders assigned to the BDSSU and U.S. Navy staff assigned to the region. For NRCS, this was an opportunity not only to conduct annual training with the British but also to ensure new communication procedures were standardized.
“Upon completion of this training, the next step on the U.S. Navy side is to have our reporting process in place so that should a spill occur it can be reported to the British as quickly as possible allowing them to take action as quickly as possible,” said Chantry Davis, NRCS Environmental Director.
According to Bill Tageson, the contract course instructor from Naval Facilities Command, Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, Calif., the certification course training tests the capabilities of responding to a fuel, oil or hazardous materials spills specific to the Sembawang Naval Installation. In terms of governmental compliance, this is not just an important training event but an integral part of maintaining safety and environmental regulations.
“The training itself is site specific for each location and it provides a federal certification as a first responder at the operations level,” said Tageson. “This course is the minimal training required to respond to oil on the water by using the equipment needed to contain spills in Singapore waters.”
Each year dozens of U.S. Navy ships dock at Navy Region Center Singapore to refuel and resupply. Therefore, it is a vital task in sustaining a high level of alertness in responding to spills - despite the multitude of safety measures taken during refueling and resupplying.
During the practical application phase, Tageson along with BDSSU leaders conducted a short operations brief to outline the training scenario and go over safety procedures. Afterwards, the refueling team and first responders positioned two bright orange booms. One boom was 400 feet long and another 200 feet with both positioned on the wharf on the end of the pier near the port’s entrance.
“My guys on the wharf, within 15–to-20 minutes, can deploy a 200-foot boom to contain any spill,” said Bruce Kirkpatrick, operations manager, BDSSU.
In addition to the certification and compliance, the training event was also an opportunity for more seasoned refueling crew members to help train and mentor newer ones, according to Kirkpatrick. For Mohammed Shah Bin Mohammed Ismail, the newest refueling specialist with BDSSU, the training was tough but important and a great learning experience.
“This was good training because when it comes time for the real situation, we need to deploy as fast as possible to contain all the oil before it reaches out to the sea,” Ismail said. “And this is a very good team because there are a lot of experienced guys who are willing to share with me what they’ve learned.”
Once the two orange booms were positioned, the first responders unraveled the 200 foot version and fed it to a tug boat in the basin. The tug boat towed the boom to simulate surrounding the oil spill to contain it. After the spill containment, the second boom was fed to the tug boat which extended it out to the opposite end of the port across the water. This acted as a barrier that blocked the entire entrance of the port. Once the barrier was set in place and the ends of the 400-foot boom were anchored on the tide risers located on each end of the piers, the training phase was complete.
In Tageson’s view, the training event was successful. In terms of environmental responsibility, the successful training validates that NRCS staff members and BDSSU first responders are able to handle any future oil, fuel or hazardous materials spill if it were ever to arise.
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.17.2016 23:41 |
| Story ID: | 192783 |
| Location: | SG |
| Web Views: | 120 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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