With the delivery of the GUARDIAN Mobile Safety and Survival Training Simulator developed and built by Personal Protection Equipment Specialists, Inc. (PPES), Rhode Island Urban Search and Rescue will be able to continually hone their vital life-saving skills. This unique and innovative all-in-one mobile training simulator is able to recreate over 200 catastrophic scenarios. Now the effects of disasters, both man-made and natural, including the results of earthquakes, explosions and railcar tanker derailments, can be experienced safely in a controlled environment.
Hindered by limited visibility, smoke and debris, encumbered by pounds of protective gear and bulky breathing apparatus, these first responders will be able to build the teamwork needed to save lives under conditions that have been referred to as being “as real as it gets.” Rhode Island Urban Search and Rescue ordered the GUARDIAN to include a railcar tanker dome module, window-rescue and sewer-line rescue kits as well as an earthquake aftershock simulator for unmatched training flexibility, realism and affordability.
Tanker car leaks are becoming more and more common in the United States. Everyday one million tons of hazardous materials in over 100,000 tanker railcars travel throughout America — and many are filled with toxic chemicals such as deadly chlorine gas, anhydrous ammonia, flammable liquids and toxic pesticides. Every two weeks on average a train carrying hazardous materials derails. “It is imperative that training for these kinds of incidents takes place under the same conditions that first responders will encounter during an actual railcar leak because it’s all theory until it happens,” says Tom Quinn, President of PPES.
The railcar tanker dome simulator creates a startlingly authentic training exercise that perfectly mimics a hazardous gas leak. First responders can now learn firsthand how to stop the flow of escaping gas safely and quickly while in full protective gear. Adding realism to the experience is an olfactory component that safely reproduces the smell and sound of leaking gas.
It is just one of the many ways the GUARDIAN prepares first responders to master the skills required for dealing with such life-threatening situations. For more details, please visit the company’s website at www.PPES.us.