Emergency Driving/Traffic Marshalling Course

aust_fire1 · December 10, 2006, 01:22:00 PM

Recently I organized a Presentation Night with SAPOL.

I asked SAPOL to talk about Priority Driving/Emergency Driving & Traffic Marshalling.

They sent an Officer from Traffic Management down to us and I also invited a local Officer from Victor Harbor to attend.

I organized it as a brigade training event. It was very successful with other brigades being interested in attending if I organized another session
30 attended the 1st session.

A 2nd night was set up at Port Elliot with another 75 members attending representing 3 Groups and 11 brigades.

The Traffic Marshaling section was a certified course with all members passing. SAPOL organise for certificates to be issued.
People dealing with traffic control (events, parades, accidents etc) should look at this presentation.

The cost for the presentation was $0.00

If you want more info just message me and i can give you contacts etc

It really is a good night. The night went for approx 90 minutes.

medevac · December 10, 2006, 03:52:52 PM

we received some training, in our group a couple of years back from SAPOL...

gave us an accreditation in "traffic marshalling".... apparently to 'officially' conduct traffic control this is required.

mengcfs · December 11, 2006, 09:50:07 AM

Our Brigade did the same thing. We also had other community organisations who regularly do traffic control join in. Now everyone is singing off the same page. Still haven't seen the certs from SAPOL yet :x

Smallflame · December 11, 2006, 12:46:17 PM

Quote from: mengcfs on December 11, 2006, 09:50:07 AM
Our Brigade did the same thing. We also had other community organisations who regularly do traffic control join in. Now everyone is singing off the same page. Still haven't seen the certs from SAPOL yet :x

SAPOL were meant to send us certs for a clan lab recognition workshop, I think it takes them a while with certificates... That was in August and we're still waiting!

[Edit: Cause me type good]

mengcfs · December 11, 2006, 02:48:52 PM

Our course was run about 2 years ago......have given up on the certs.

oz fire · December 12, 2006, 08:14:32 AM

mmmmm - good idea for SAPOL to train us volunteers in traffic control, means they can negate their obligation and legislative responsability to do it?????

On the other hand - emergency driving ...... about time CFS removed it's digits from the dark places and reacted to this one - after all every time we roll we undertake emergency driving ..... and as yet, are we trained ..... sadly for some of our people over the years, no and it has showed - poor form by CFS managment - they train and train and train us in what to do when we arrive, they just cant get their acts together to train us how to get their safetly!!

aust_fire1 · December 12, 2006, 08:20:13 AM

Thats my biggest beef Oz. No good training to do if we cant get there safely.
I am hoping that CFS will do what SAPOL do and do a emergency responce driving presentations course. Police do it yearly.
Even if it is a couple or so from each brigade is a start

mengcfs · December 12, 2006, 10:05:16 AM

Quotemmmmm - good idea for SAPOL to train us volunteers in traffic control, means they can negate their obligation and legislative responsability to do it??

Unfortunately in some rural areas there is only one copper on deck at any one time and doesn't start till 1500. It takes a while for their comcen to organise a recall, hence the need for us to work with them to keep us all safe.

SA Firey · December 12, 2006, 12:54:47 PM

Traffic Services came to our station about 3 years ago we had a lecture and filled out a form to say we attended and were listed at SAPOL as authorised persons,but have never seen any certificates :-o

aust_fire1 · December 12, 2006, 01:12:22 PM

I will be speaking to SAPOL Traffic next Thursday 14th Dec, If u want me to follow up about your brigades certificates etc email me the brigade name and I will see whats going on for you.

allan@sa.chariot.net.au

5271rescue · December 12, 2006, 07:08:19 PM

Traffic control is not our job,I am sorry but its about time the police or SA ROADS did it and that way people may slow down for them... Also you need to do a full two day course in traffic control and you need to have the cert to say that you can do the job...Tell me what would happen if you did traffice control the IC tell you to send all traffic down a side road and from your actions there is another accident..Whos in the wrong??? and yes this did happen to a brigade some where in this state

medevac · December 12, 2006, 07:12:00 PM

i dont see how the CFS would be at fault bill unless they did something strange like send cars over an unfinished bridge...

what happens if i crash my car while taking a road works detour? can i blame the council....?

Camo · December 12, 2006, 07:32:18 PM

well from what i have been told yes the council is accountable!

Stupid as it seems.

Maybe Pip can enlighten us.

aust_fire1 · December 12, 2006, 08:34:30 PM

I have done the full 2 day course and am full trained in traffic control and traffic control devices.
SAPOL are teaching you about Traffic Marshalling.One day you will be at an incident which police may not be able to attend to. Then you may be placed into a situation that requires traffic marshaling.
You will find that a large number of SES are trained in Traffic Marshaling, but again, the SES are not always going to be there either.
I prefer that my members be offered the chance to learn the basics in marshaling than to know nothing at all.

Hey, nobody is forcing anybody to do anything.

Its something that we did here, it looks like other brigades have done marshaling as well. We found it very interesting.

SA Firey · December 15, 2006, 12:35:58 AM

Drivers are too busy looking at the flashing lights to worry about our hand signals telling them where they should go :-P

bittenyakka · December 15, 2006, 09:22:19 PM

The other part of driver training that will eventually come under question is driving off road through paddocks eg. running grass fire, and the like where it is common and legal for people to be standing on the back of the truck. one day someone will get injured in a rollover and as CFS doesn't train for this type of driving. there will be issues.

aust_fire1 · December 16, 2006, 05:17:16 AM

We have been standing on appliances for years and years. Yes, one day something bad will happen, then all hell will break free. The landcruiser 14's are a good option. 2 people and a running fire could be fought from the front cab for added safety. At least the passenger could have a seatbelt on.

SA Firey · December 16, 2006, 04:42:29 PM

Quote from: bittenyakka on December 15, 2006, 09:22:19 PM
The other part of driver training that will eventually come under question is driving off road through paddocks eg. running grass fire, and the like where it is common and legal for people to be standing on the back of the truck. one day someone will get injured in a rollover and as CFS doesn't train for this type of driving. there will be issues.

Mt Bryan 24 Rollover ring a bell :wink:

Pipster · December 16, 2006, 11:00:23 PM

Those who suffered minor injuries were, I believe, the ones on the back. A person in the cab was the most seriously injured.

And the roll over involving Murray Bridge Pumper, again, the most seriously injured person was the driver.....

But having said that, I think we are lucky that we haven't had more crashes....

Pip

Camo · December 17, 2006, 09:30:06 AM

We perform duties that include a certain amount of risk. And that risk will always be there.

Unless they are going to start wrapping us up in bubble wrap these things will always happen. Its part of the job unfortunately but we just have to try our best to stop it happening.

Heck look at the yanks, they write trucks off several times a year - we do it maybe once every 5 years (on average, maybe more?)

SA Firey · December 17, 2006, 11:39:49 AM

Quote from: pipster on December 16, 2006, 11:00:23 PM
Those who suffered minor injuries were, I believe, the ones on the back. A person in the cab was the most seriously injured.

And the roll over involving Murray Bridge Pumper, again, the most seriously injured person was the driver.....

But having said that, I think we are lucky that we haven't had more crashes....

Pip

<Agrees>

I reiterate the fact about responsibilities of persons driving appliances,and it is always the "APPLIANCE DRIVER" who will get crucified by the coroner, not the officer in charge.

Driver has responsibilty for all controls of the vehicle!

Our driver training instructors at TTC now have the copies of my DVD's ex CFA,which will be shown in future driving courses.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas everyone :-D

aust_fire1 · January 06, 2007, 05:21:29 AM

Just wanted to let you all know that we have received our certificate for traffic marshalling. Only 7 weeks after we did the course. You guys had me worried that they would not come thru.

Firey9119 · December 31, 2007, 04:15:30 PM

has anyone got any contact details for this SAPOL course?

chook · December 31, 2007, 04:39:20 PM

Did the traffic marshalling course a couple of years ago. Took almost a day, if done properly the risks are reduced, so someone sending traffic into on comming traffic shouldn't happen (see Murphy's Law :-D).
The other course is work zone traffic management, went to a lecture conducted by one of the top guys in that section of Transport SA (he conducts audits of contractors doing this work).I asked the question do we need to do this? short answer "Don't you have big trucks with red & blue lights? Yes "then throw it across the road - you don't need to do this stuff".
So boys & girls throw away the stop & slow bats, learn to stand on the white line in the middle of the road & learn to be insertive. By the way we are not permitted to put in detours regardless of what course you have done!
Council or SAPOL thats it, we can however enforce detours once in place.
Interestingly military emergency response personnel do emergency driving course, used to be at Pucka - not sure where it is now.
cheers

SA FIREFIGHTER · December 31, 2007, 06:49:07 PM

Emergency driving should be no different than your normal driving,Just because you have your beacons and sirens on doesn't make you any different than driving back to the station after the call.. you are pumped full of adrenalin and you think everyones going slower,getting in your way... Think about when the job is done and you are returning to the station (you remember all road rule ) why should it be any different...
At the scene you should always park in a defensive position anyway to protect you and your crew........