Indian Point "Fire Brigade"?

[firedude 985]

Indian Point 'Fire Brigade' Fought Transformer Blaze

Verplanck fire department's standby role kept it outside the fence Sunday while company volunteers responded to explosion at nuclear power plant.

Fire flares at Indian Point—as it did Sunday, knocking out a giant transformer—the nuclear power plant calls first on its own volunteers to fight the blaze, officials said Monday.

An explosion and subsequent fire raked the transformer just after 6:30 Sunday night at Indian Point's reactor 2 in Buchanan, shutting down the transformer and taking the reactor, one of two operating units, offline indefinitely.

Sprinklers and the company's "fire brigade"—Indian Point Energy Center employees trained to battle blazes—soon quelled the fire, an Entergy Corp. spokesman said, leaving the Verplanck Fire Department waiting outside the gates. Officials inside and outside Entergy, the plant's owner, downplayed the significance of Verplanck's being left out of the firefight...

Full Article

Does anybody have any info on this unit? Are they all volunteers, do they work at the plant? Do they have any apparatus?

Thanks in advance.

[FF398 45]

When my father used to work at Indian Point, he was on the fire brigade for close to 10 years. The fire brigade is not like a career fire department, instead it consists of workers at the power plant that are trained to be part of the fire brigade. For instance, my dad worked in security, if there was a fire call he was to stop whatever he was doing and respond to the emergency on site. Since my father retired from Indian Point a few years back, I'm not sure exactly how the brigade is run anymore. Hope this could help.

[JM15 386]

I would assume that they follow OSHA 1910.156 and subsequent standards

[wraftery 1,275]

I would assume that they follow OSHA 1910.156 and subsequent standards

Osha started in the firefighting business with the Fire Brigade Standard. There was no public employee standard. When the time came for oSHA to apply a standard to publically employed firefighters, OSHA simply pulled the Fire Brigade Standard off the shelf, blew off the dust, and used it for FD's without a single change.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

After 9/11, security personnel were removed from fire brigade service. The reasoning was that a fire could be a diversionary tactic. When this transformer blew, it activated a deluge sprinkler system, and a fire alarm. IP has different alarms, which are heard throughout the site.

The next thing that occurs is the Control Room will announce what is happening and where, and the brigade; consisting of other personnel other than security will go to one of the two or three designated assembly points, where their turnout gear is stored.

They have various sizes of gear, so whoever is designated to respond can grab a generic set.

The first part of the brigade will usually be 6-7 members. They can be engineers, chemists, anything except security. They can muster 14-15 brigade members at a time.

Throughout IP there are hose stations with preconnected lines. The brigade will respond to the site of the emergency, and they have push-carts that contain various firefighting tools, extra hose, nozzles, etc.

The sprinkler system is well designed, and has very high volume. You can imagine this would handle most fire incidents at the site. The brigade will perform whatever they need to do. If the incident requires outside assistance, the responding departments would be utilized.

[FF398 45]

After 9/11, security personnel were removed from fire brigade service. The reasoning was that a fire could be a diversionary tactic. When this transformer blew, it activated a deluge sprinkler system, and a fire alarm. IP has different alarms, which are heard throughout the site.

The next thing that occurs is the Control Room will announce what is happening and where, and the brigade; consisting of other personnel other than security will go to one of the two or three designated assembly points, where their turnout gear is stored.

They have various sizes of gear, so whoever is designated to respond can grab a generic set.

The first part of the brigade will usually be 6-7 members. They can be engineers, chemists, anything except security. They can muster 14-15 brigade members at a time.

Throughout IP there are hose stations with preconnected lines. The brigade will respond to the site of the emergency, and they have push-carts that contain various firefighting tools, extra hose, nozzles, etc.

The sprinkler system is well designed, and has very high volume. You can imagine this would handle most fire incidents at the site. The brigade will perform whatever they need to do. If the incident requires outside assistance, the responding departments would be utilized.

Thanks for the clarification. Since 9/11 the fire brigade had changed its criteria of who can be on the team. As you stated, security members were no longer established on the fire brigade, which is reason why my father left the brigade.

[PEMO3 523]

[ec255 22]

When I was an Assistant Chief( Buchanan ) we had a haz-mat incident that they assisted us with- they had a thermal imager before we did- at the time they had a pickup style crew cab with a utility body.Remember them being a big help.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

I'm gonna have to hunt one of those down for my collection.

[FDNY 10-75 640]

I'm gonna have to hunt one of those down for my collection.

That makes two of us!

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

lohud article on the brigade.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20101114/NEWS01/11140384/Indian-Point-operators-trained-as-fire-brigade

[BFD1054 1,552]

When I was an Assistant Chief( Buchanan ) we had a haz-mat incident that they assisted us with- they had a thermal imager before we did- at the time they had a pickup style crew cab with a utility body.Remember them being a big help.

Chief, well said. I know that the Brigade was a good mutual-aid asset, especially for Haz-Mat related incidents. Unfortunately, i dont believe they respond off-site (mutual-aid) any longer. Does anyone know if the Brigades Utility is still in service/in use?

[JM15 386]

Anyone have any idea what their procedure for Hazardous materials is? I'm sure any fire on the complex is first considered a hazmat event...

[Guest squarewheels]

if there was a large incident and just say a surrounding area needed mass decon what would wetchester county do? do volly companies after decon units and large shower units?

[Bnechis 3,961]

if there was a large incident and just say a surrounding area needed mass decon what would wetchester county do? do volly companies after decon units and large shower units?

Look at the scene support trailer thread, it was just discused there.

[spin_the_wheel 460]

When do the local FD's respond into the plant? Is there a multiple alarm procedure in palce at 60 control?

thanks guys be safe.

[firedude 985]

60 control does nothing untill advised by the plants fire brigade and/or security. The fire brigade handels everything onsite, with their apparatus and firefighters. If help is needed, they would contact 60-control. Buchanan would be the first due deprtment.

[FF398 45]

60 control does nothing untill advised by the plants fire brigade and/or security. The fire brigade handels everything onsite, with their apparatus and firefighters. If help is needed, they would contact 60-control. Buchanan would be the first due deprtment.

just to clarify, Indian Point is in Buchanan but Verplanck FD is first due to the plant.

[wcm259 0]

When my father used to work at Indian Point, he was on the fire brigade for close to 10 years. The fire brigade is not like a career fire department, instead it consists of workers at the power plant that are trained to be part of the fire brigade. For instance, my dad worked in security, if there was a fire call he was to stop whatever he was doing and respond to the emergency on site. Since my father retired from Indian Point a few years back, I'm not sure exactly how the brigade is run anymore. Hope this could help.

I hope it is not run like that anymore. Sounds real safe if security guards are dropping what they do to fight a fire.

[FF398 45]

I hope it is not run like that anymore. Sounds real safe if security guards are dropping what they do to fight a fire.

No, since 9/11 the fire brigade changed its procedures about who can and cannot be on the brigade. You quoted me about what I said about my father, he used to work in the security department but wasn't a guard during the time he severed on the brigade. Sorry if I confused anyone with that initial post.

[abaduck 123]

60 control does nothing untill advised by the plants fire brigade and/or security. The fire brigade handels everything onsite, with their apparatus and firefighters. If help is needed, they would contact 60-control. Buchanan would be the first due deprtment.

It's not in my district and it isn't really my business, but I'm curious. What district are they in? Who would be the AHJ over Indian Point? I seem to recall (correct me if I'm wrong), the last fire they had, the responding FD apparatus being ?held at the gate? until it was decided whether or not they would be *permitted* on-site. That sounds a queer way to run an incident scene, to say the least; you don't say 'no' to a Chief.

Not criticizing, just trying to understand.

Mike

[spin_the_wheel 460]

It's not in my district and it isn't really my business, but I'm curious. What district are they in? Who would be the AHJ over Indian Point? I seem to recall (correct me if I'm wrong), the last fire they had, the responding FD apparatus being ?held at the gate? until it was decided whether or not they would be *permitted* on-site. That sounds a queer way to run an incident scene, to say the least; you don't say 'no' to a Chief.

Not criticizing, just trying to understand.

Mike

I would think you would have to be very qualified to have jurisdiction over the plant "Chief" or IC. Is this a government run site? There are alot of special sites where the local FD's are "stopped" at the gates so to speak. Jails for one, just because you are the local Chief of the area the structure sits in does not always mean you will be calling the shots.

[firedude 985]

just to clarify, Indian Point is in Buchanan but Verplanck FD is first due to the plant.

ok, thanks for the clarification.

[firedude 985]

I would think you would have to be very qualified to have jurisdiction over the plant "Chief" or IC. Is this a government run site? There are alot of special sites where the local FD's are "stopped" at the gates so to speak. Jails for one, just because you are the local Chief of the area the structure sits in does not always mean you will be calling the shots.

it is not government owned. it is owned by Energy.

[ladder55 26]

Wcm259 ever been on a ship? If a fire breaks out on a ship who do you think puts it out? They don't have career firefighters. They have everyone thats on the brigade drop what they are doing to put out the fire. This is what's called volunteer firefighters.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Wcm259 ever been on a ship? If a fire breaks out on a ship who do you think puts it out? They don't have career firefighters. They have everyone thats on the brigade drop what they are doing to put out the fire. This is what's called volunteer firefighters.

Its not volunteer when the choice is stretch a line or swim

[FDNY 10-75 640]

Do they have any full size apparatus?

[Monty 35]

It's not in my district and it isn't really my business, but I'm curious. What district are they in? Who would be the AHJ over Indian Point? I seem to recall (correct me if I'm wrong), the last fire they had, the responding FD apparatus being ?held at the gate? until it was decided whether or not they would be *permitted* on-site. That sounds a queer way to run an incident scene, to say the least; you don't say 'no' to a Chief.

Not criticizing, just trying to understand.

Mike

I forget where I heard it (some training course - SEMO maybe), but I think a nuclear plant is one of the very few places in New York where the local government is NOT the AHJ .....

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Wcm259 ever been on a ship? If a fire breaks out on a ship who do you think puts it out? They don't have career firefighters. They have everyone thats on the brigade drop what they are doing to put out the fire. This is what's called volunteer firefighters.

? ? ? what are you trying to say ? They have volunteer firefighters that stay on a ship ?