CHAPTER 13: RUNNING SIMULATIONS

Event: Walton Town Centregas tanker overturning Date: 11 April 1987 Summary: A gasoline tank truck overturned and collided with a small car. A bystander probably called emergency services, and both police and ambulance arrived at about the same time. The police officer went to a pay phone away from the scene, and medical responders went right to the crash site. Gasoline spread through the street. The liquid soaked responders clothing. The driver of the car was trapped inside, but responders could not use the jaws of life, for fear a spark would ignite the gas. Then the driver began to have heart problems, but medical responders didnt use a defibrillator for fear of igniting the gasoline. Responders had too little foam to spread it over the entire site, and that response had to wait until more arrived. The liquid gas ran through the streets, into sewers and into the Thames River, creating a new response challenge on the water with threats to wildlife, drinking-water and pleasure craft. Gaseous fuel became an explosion hazard. One explosion occurred in a pub cellar, caused by a spark from an automatic timer. Result: No loss of life. Some damage to the environment. Lessons Learned: Police, fire and medical people all use different response techniques. Different response techniques are required during the same eventfire, explosion, spill, water pollution. Solving one problem with the jaws of life or a defibrillator can cause a worse problem. The definition of a problem and preferred solutions changes quickly. There is a need to coordinate responses among emergency services.

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an ounce of prevention

chapter 13: runninG simulations

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