All fires are dangerous, but fires in fuel and chemical plants represent a unique and serious threat. Not only do the chemicals accelerate fires and make them harder to control and contain, but these kinds of fires can often only be extinguished using firefighting foam. That fire fighting foam contains the “forever chemicals” PFOA and PFAS and is therefore subject to increasing regulation due to its potential for both environmental and individual health harms.
Limitations on the use of fire fighting foam, in turn, bring additional safety challenges: because petrochemical fires are comparatively rare, lack of regular field experience is compounded by the risk of insufficient opportunities for training in foam use. Without alternative methods for oil and gas fire training, firefighting teams could find themselves unprepared. FAAC’s petrochemical firefighting simulations fill this dangerous gap.
Train to Fight Petrochemical Fires without the Cost and Dangers of Firefighting Foam
Using advanced immersive simulation chemical/petroleum fire fighting teams can get the training they need from the safety of the firehouse. With simulation training you can run exercises at your convenience, safely modeling extremely dangerous conditions, without taking a rig or personnel out of service, or risking anyone’s health and safety.
FAAC’s simulators come pre-loaded with a comprehensive library of firefighting scenarios, including petrochemical events. Any of these can be endlessly customized–or you can create entirely new scenarios to capture a specific set of risks your teams are likely to face, allowing them to safely and reliably build the skills they need.
FAAC simulators correctly model the dynamics of petrochemical fires, as well as the behavior of different foam concentrations and types. For pump operators, our Pump Ops Simulator faithfully reproduces the experience of flowing foam using your specific equipment. This simulator uniquely integrates advanced modeling, simulation software, and real pump panel components, and is in active use in 100+ installations.
FAAC’s inCommand, incident command and control simulator supports scene control training. It comes with a library of hundreds of unique scenarios, set in either generic or custom/geo-specific locations. FAAC has developed specialized modules for critical infrastructure and other sites where petrochemical fires are likely, including airports, railways, ships and shipyards, traffic tunnels, ports and offshore facilities. Also, other industrial sites such as oil, gas, chemical, or petrochemical plants.
These specific simulators are just two elements of FAAC’s full firefighting Continuum of Training, a complete set of training simulators for firefighters, incident response teams, on-scene command, and first responders. With Continuum of Training, any FAAC simulator can network and inter-operate with any other simulator. This is a truly immersive training system for complex, and even multi-agency, incidents, from railway tank car fire protection to offshore fire team training, large-scale accidents, and more.
