A new Fire Rescue Training Simulator at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose has been formally opened by Brigadier D A H Shaw, Chief of Staff Regional Forces. The simulator provides realistic fire training by replicating the intense fire, heat, smoke and the chaos of interior structural fires, but in a safe and controlled environment. Made entirely of metal, the simulator’s interior consists of 4 ground floor rooms, a stairwell, hallway and 6 further rooms on the first floor. By using a combination of propane gas to generate flames and heat, and vegetable oil smoke generators, trainees experience the environment encountered in a real fire situation, but are protected by various safety systems such as emergency lighting, smoke extraction systems, emergency power isolations and extra external escape doors.
Fire fighting at Culdrose Captain Philip Thicknesse, Commanding Officer of RNAS Culdrose said: “I am delighted that this Fire Rescue Training Simulator has been added to the range of training facilities here at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose. It is a fine example of cooperation between the Royal Navy, the army, the Local Authority Fire Service and civilian manufacturers of specialist fire-fighting equipment.”
At the School of Flight Deck Operations at RNAS Culdrose young naval ratings in the Aircraft Handlers Branch learn the intricacies of operating aircraft on the flight decks of aircraft carriers and frigates, and crucial to their role as the guardians of safety on the flight decks is a deep specialist knowledge in firefighting. The new simulator will help provide this essential firefighting expertise.
The Royal Navy depends on the Aircraft Handlers to move aircraft around the flight decks of its ships and to be on hand to deal with fire emergencies at sea and ashore. The availability of sophisticated training aids such as the Fire Rescue Training Simulator helps to produce fire fighters capable of tackling the wide range of possible fire hazards on land and at sea thus sustaining and saving lives.
Debut Services (South West) Ltd, managed the project and the simulator was designed and installed by the specialist civilian firm Kidde Fire Trainers at a cost of just under £1millon. Defence Estates and the Royal Navy Estate Organisation funded the project, and with safety and environmental issues being paramount throughout, the safety of personnel is protected and legislation covering air pollution and water contamination has been met.
