Multiple train carriages derail, burning liquids, containers going up in smoke, and a fertilizer silo threatening to explode. The FireWare team managed to pull off an impressive simulation once again on September 28 and 29, this time in the port area of Tallinn, Estonia.
After the FireWare team prepared the designs, the script, and materials, Virgil and Christian from the FireWare staging team set out on their journey. Together with FireWare’s dealer in Estonia, Mohni, a large-scale incident was simulated in collaboration with the Rescue Service Estonia. The fire department, police, ambulance service, and emergency control room had to prevent a large-scale disaster, under the watchful eyes of several ministers, and even the President of Estonia was present.
The Scenario
The exercise spanned two full days and kicked off with a five-hour simulation by FireWare and our dealer in Estonia, Mohni. A track switch malfunction led to a train crash. Two carriages derailed, leaking a flammable liquid, which ignited and formed a growing pool of fire. Twelve Stratus Smoke Generators with Smoke Fluid Fire Training Extreme were working at full capacity, creating a chain reaction. Simulated overpressure valves were activated using a compressor and smoke machine, producing a flow from the top of the carriage. Through four interconnected Electronic Explosion Simulators V2, the fire spread from carriage to carriage.
Hybrid scenario
Smoke machines, lights, and sound systems weren’t the only things in use. Two QR codes were placed near the containers that caught fire, a first for FireWare! These QR codes could be scanned using a phone or tablet, providing a simulated view of the situation via a live stream. This created a hybrid simulation. The fire on the live stream changed based on the firefighting efforts. Why did we choose this approach? The fire department wanted to simulate real extinguishment, and everything had to withstand a thick layer of foam.
The Follow-up
Due to the chain reaction of fire, the flames threatened to reach a fertilizer silo. If the fire reached there, 1000 people had to be evacuated from an adjacent residential area. Naturally, this involved the emergency control room as well. Based on the live stream via the QR codes, they made predictions about the spread of the fire, scaling up, and decided whether to evacuate areas or not. All in all, it was a fantastic multi-day hybrid simulation!
The Response
Every few years, a large-scale evacuation exercise must take place in Estonia. This year, for the first time the cause had to be simulated as well. The responses were incredibly positive. The emergency services mentioned that it truly added that extra effect. The contact person even said, ‘The FireWare staging was the icing on the cake.’ The FireWare team couldn’t be more proud!
