IFA INTERNATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY SWITZERLAND
Since year of 2017, Eitan Sahar Engineering Solutions
has been proud to represent IFA international fire academy in Israel, and to dispatch the Israeli fire services to the facility in Switzerland for several courses. these courses where lead by the most professional crew of the IFA academy. on those courses, the Israeli firefighters has trained specifically on fire engagement within tunnels and rescue form devastated areas. With state-of-the-art facilities and the latest equipment, we are ready to handle any type of fire emergency, as well as other emergency situations. Our first-responders are professionally trained to deal with fires, rescues, motor vehicle incidents, and more. We also hold frequent community-wide awareness programs in order to promote proper fire prevention and good safety habits.
Tunnel Fire fighting training
Fire incidents in railway tunnels require intensive cooperation between fire services and railway companies. That is why the International Fire Academy developed the Swiss Railway Firefighting Procedure for fire operations in rail tunnels in close cooperation with railway companies. This article gives an insight into the four years of development work, in which at times two different worlds met and had to reach a common view.
Underground car park intensive course:
Understanding tactical principles and applying them in operational training drills
Even though underground car parks are underground transport systems, the operating conditions differ significantly from those of a fire in a tunnel. Therefore, full-time instructors, together with the Didactics and Development Team of the International Fire Academy, developed tactical principles and guidance on practical procedures for operations in underground car parks. They are taught in the underground car park intensive course, which will be offered three times in 2022. Additionally, fire services can also book courses for themselves.
Know the unique features of each underground car park
As with tunnels, the same applies to underground car parks: fire services must be familiar with these objects. Underground car parks can differ significantly in terms of structural design, safety installations and usage. Accesses are often not recognizable at first glance. Entrances and exits can be far apart. Storage rooms - for example, from shops - can be additional fire loads. Finally, the development above and around the underground car park is of utmost importance for a deployment. It has a significant impact on the tactical approach. The underground car park intensive course participants are therefore made aware of the relevant distinctions through educational posters.
Feedback is a critical success factor in fire service training. Ideally, it is constructively and immediately feasible and thus has a motivating effect. Marianne Warmly, head of training at the International Fire Academy, presents her feedback method, which was a focus of this year's qualification training course for instructors.
Fire services should be involved in the planning of a tunnel at least two years before the start of construction. This realization is becoming more and more widespread, but it is not yet a matter of course. The article supports fire services in their argumentation towards those responsible
What to do when the construction work for a new tunnel has already started, and the fire service suddenly has to provide fire protection and technical assistance during the construction phase?
