Last November, a large-scale fire drill took place in a brand-new building at Sydvestjysk Sygehus (Southwest Hospital) in Esbjerg, Denmark. On behalf of the hospital, our Danish distributor Optisafe was responsible for staging a challenging, multidisciplinary scenario. To support the Danish team, FireWare sent two staging specialists to Esbjerg, a port city on the North Sea.
The simulation took place one week before handover of the new building. The purpose of the exercise was to test whether the escape plan worked as expected, and whether employees were able to perform their tasks and exercise their authority. The team of staging specialists was responsible for a total of four fires, lit at carefully-planned intervals. The fires were started by a crazy pyromaniac.
Fires in linen cupboards
The pyromaniac lit the first fire in a linen cupboard. The ensuing commotion motivated the pyromaniac to light a fire in a second linen cupboard on the other side of the hospital. This meant that two wings had to be completely evacuated. For the staging of these two fires, the Training Set Seat of Fire was used. This kit contains a range of devices to create the necessary smoke, sound, smell and light effects. These effects were enhanced through the use of a Phoenix Silk Flame and FireSpots. The entire setup was controlled remotely.
Simulated fire on a ward
Fascinated by the fires in the linen cupboards, the pyromaniac continued on his way with evil intentions and entered a patient room on a ward. Here he lit a third fire, some fifteen minutes after the first two. The Training Set Seat of Fire was used to stage this fire too. The three indoor fires pushed the emergency services crews to their limits. The immobility of the sick and impaired victims was a significant element of the scenario.
Bin fire with victims
The scenario ended with a large fire on the second floor of the hospital, where the pyromaniac set fire to a rubbish bin. Bystanders who had followed the pyromaniac tried to restrain him and prevent him from lighting any further fires. The pyromaniac responded by dousing three bystanders with petrol and setting them alight. The victims were seriously injured and had to be treated on the spot.
To stage the bin fire, two Phoenix Silk Flames, four FireSpots, a Fusion and two Stratus smoke machines were used. The smoke spread to the third floor, where patients were receiving medical care. This forced the various emergency services crews to work together with streamlined coordination.
Video surveillance
Cameras were installed at key positions in the drill environment so the progress of the drill could be monitored. These images were also recorded for the purposes of debriefing and further training of both emergency services crews and hospital staff. More dynamic images were also captured using two GoPro cameras and a 360-degree camera.
Simulating a medical disaster
Simulating an incident in a medical environment requires experienced specialists. In this sort of delicate environment, the staging technician is expected to create an ultra-realistic experience without causing damage to sensitive medical equipment. At FireWare, we stage exercises of this nature using harmless smoke fluid and simulated fire. This means we leave the environment in the same condition as before the exercise began.
Staging a drill in a hospital
The outcomes of the evaluation were extremely positive. Patients can feel reassured about the functioning of the escape plan for the new building and the capabilities of the medical personnel. If you’re looking for someone to help you stage a drill in a medical environment, FireWare has wide-ranging experience in these types of situations. So don’t delay – get in touch with our staging specialists for a no-obligation brainstorm. We love coming up with ideas!
