What would you do?

[CFS_Firey]

Here's a question that I've been wondering, and it'd  be interesting  to hear your thoughts:
There is a terrorist attack in Adelaide... It's possibly radiological.... Its big, and they need resources, so they respond half the states CFS brigades... If you went to help, you would most likely be exposed to some radiation... would you go?  

Although I would want to do everything I could to help, I'm still young, and don't know if cancer would be fun... I'd probably try to find another way to help, away from ground zero...

[strikeathird]

1) In this situation you would find " Special Services " departments from Military, and various government agencies would also be responded and likely to be taking control of the incident and deploying special response teams. (CFS probably the last to be responded.... possibly going COQ first to all the stations in the Metro area that were called)

2) If Chemical/biological situations occur, Specialist teams (EG. Hazmat brigades with trained crew etc)  would be responded.  (And use there Specialist equipment to avoid all possibility of injury)

3) If it was to the degree you are sort of mentioning, and radiation was apparent, half a chance the only brigades left to respond are the likes of Biscuit Flat...Port Lincoln......and the CFA.

&

4) At the end of the day you are a volunteer, if you dont want to go... Stay at home when the pager goes off... No one can force you on the truck!

And lets hope something like this never happens!

[MCFSFF]

Nah you should go... they go in on all the movies and they still seem to be able to make another movie years latter so you will be fine.. your PPE will protect you!!  

No seriously you/I would have to sum it up on the day .. I guess some adrenaline will be flowing and sheer size of devastation would see you / I wanting to help! i.e. twin Towers doco where crews responded without being called.

I would imagine that there would be plenty to do away!  away from point of impact and out of immediate radiation danger as such ... also in some circumstances you may find your going to be effected years later and probably have a slow death whether you went into immediate response area or not..

hope to hell something like that never happens or I am standing next to the impact zone so its quick and painless!

[rescue5271]

Well I would wait and see what is goin on, no point in rushing in and if its the real thing well send in hazmat crew first and I will remain at home and look after our own backyard. but really if it does happen we will all be busy soon.

[Mike]

Ive been thinking long and hard about this one..... and im still not overly certain of my answer.

As a hazmat operator, you would think a call would come rather quickly. I agree most with MCFSFF, it would be a call to make on the day, after all we all have families to consider, and remember that i/you come first when our safty is at stake.

The devistation of such an attack would be widespread, and there would be no shortage of things to do else where.......

dunno..... my verdict remains out on this one.......

interesting question though, very challenging to answer. Its a decision/event we will hopefully never see......

[JamesGar]

I agree with most of what has been written. My concerns differ somewhat with work though, as an employee on shift it would be hard to say no to responding to a need from the community, regardless of nature and size. Obvious the need of safety and not putting yourselve at risk is a primary concern of mine.

I believe that if an attack with ever happen (GOd Forbid!) that it will come on a smaller level, not the large thermonuclear device. Attacks on large crowd at AAMI Stadium with an airbourne organophosphate, or other chemical of biological device would devestating, but if you believe the people further up the line the services in this state are well prepared for such an event with adequate levels of PPE, Decontamination Equipment, and antedote supplies... Believe that if you will.

Do I believe the services are equiped enough to handle such an event? No is an easy quick answer. Most some HAZMAT incidents of the last 10 years would give some proof to that, there has been a number of incidents where MFS and SAAS personel have been hospitalised after exposure to simple organophosphate ingestions (not sure about CFS personel though). I would like to see increased training and equipment for all BA brigade. Maybe Splash suits and decon equipment on all BA appliances to enable Rapid Rescue and Decontamination of immediate personel (particularly the people in green strippy uniforms lying about on the ground!).

I don't believe that Adelaide or SA is a soft target for any attack. Areas like Port Adelaide/Osbourne with the Australian Submarine Corp, and hopefully Airwarfare Destroyer Shipyard (i'm all for it for employment and infrastructure reason, not for the product!) I believe would pose as interest for some nasty bad people somewhere in the world!

I better stop now, bit lengthy and haphazard (like my brain after studying for IC Paramedic Exams!)

Catch you soon

[oz fire]

Several brigades have undertaken extensive training in Chemical, Biological and Radiological threat and terrorism, including the fire service roles and how they can assist the lead agaency (SAPol) I'm sure the crews from these brigades are confident that they can pass on their knowledge if and when the time comes.

Ultimately though as Jamie has said the powers to be believe they have things in hand, and having exercised it several times in Adelaide and across SA I would like to think they have.

Fortunatley we (as a state) have also received extensive equipment and resources from the federal governemtn that will aid in testing these areas and ensure that we who aren't trained in Hazmat aren't exposed 'after' the event!

[strikeathird]

With all these recent white powder incidents, I hope we don;'t start to see copy cat crimes!  Altho, I think the media have way too much input, and sometimes only create more panic, and enjoyment by both the public and little scum bags who do these things.  I think, if it was never put in the media, half these people wouldnt have a reason to do such a thing. 

So my question...

Do you think the media plays a certain part in our current lifestyle in relation to Terrorism.  And, where do you think the boundaries should lie in relation to public safety, and giving the "terrorists" to much publicity over there idiotic crimes?

I personally think there is too much media involvement, and "hype", but at the same time, think it would be too dangerous to try and curb the media involvement, becasue every citizen has the right to know what is happening, and when / where these attacks are / may be occuring..

Your thoughts?

[CFS_Firey]

I certainly think the media hypes it up too much... While every citizen does have a right to know whats happening, they are probably more likely to die of cancer than get attacked by a terrorist...

However at the same time, it probably falls just as much on the politicians that encourage hype... If we started a "war on Cancer" there would probably be just as much hype over cancer...

And just out of curiosity, Does anyone know why these terrorists are attacking? Are they random attacks for fun, or is there a problem that the west is refusing to acknowledge?

[strikeathird]

Well, according to media, I think the recent powder incidents were related with the Corby case in Bali...??

[CFS_Firey]

Well, according to media, I think the recent powder incidents were related with the Corby case in Bali...??

I think those incidents were more like very bad pranks, than terrorist attacks, but good point!

[strikeathird]

Prank or terrorist attack, I think the media are still the cause of much trouble.


All i can say, is I hope these continual "pranks" attacks, either or,  don't make our services complacent, for the day that (God Forbid) something does happen, crews don't go......"Meh, another prank"....and take lesser than what would be precautions!!

[probie_boy]

a few months ago my captain and one of my looeys did a white powder exercise with burnside and stirling in the stirling post office. I heard it went well.

[bajdas]

Mercury05 exercise was based on a chemical incident at the Santos netball stadium. Because of the style of exercise, confusion was minimised.

But operators from MFS, CFS & SES completed the rescue, with decomm at various hospitals.

Personally, I would:

1/ Check on the safety of my family.
2/ Attend my LHQ
3/ Assist within my capability.

As seen at the big fires, North Queensland, Virginia Floods, etc you do not need to be at the epicentre of the incident to assist.

Many people would be evacuated from the incident site, so I would suggest country areas will be coping with the refugees for a long period of time.

Maybe Barossa Valley, Murray Bridge would be potential evacuation points that you can respond to without being affected by a radiation cloud moving with the wind.

[medevac]

i think the main thing (within reason) is to WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE CALLED... half the problem with a lot of major disasters are the self responders.

[strikeathird]

Major Incidents....


I have seen self responders to bin fires...

[probie_boy]

yeah, well thats what you get when people buy expensive scanners just for fun!

[bajdas]

i think the main thing (within reason) is to WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE CALLED... half the problem with a lot of major disasters are the self responders.

Personally I do not have a problem with emergency service crew 'self responding'. As long as it is to the LHQ/Brigade/etc, but not the incident site.

In a major incident (such as a bomb, earthquake, etc) the communication infrastructure (such as telephone & thus GRN) will not be working. Thus how do you call crew ?

[medevac]

the good old fashioned way?? anyway, thus why i stated within reason...

[Alan (Big Al)]

The local SES unit a few years ago when they first got their readout pagers rocked up to a Major RCR incident the only problem was they all turned up to the scene in private vehicles and no-one went and got the rescue truck.

At the time it wasn't funny but looking back it was damn hilarious.

[probie_boy]

hahaha.

"did you get the truck?"
"I thought you were getting it."

and so on...

once again...hahahaha