SRP trains cadets on procedures for fighting substation fires

Oct. 5, 2006 - About 25 cadets in training for fire departments in Gilbert, Chandler and Apache Junction participated in an SRP program about procedures and protocols for safely fighting fires at its power facilities. Fire personnel were particularly interested in 500-kilovolt (kV) switchyards and substations, which would result in emergencies requiring a lot of support, so the Sept. 15 training event was held at the Kyrene 500-kV Receiving Station.

For three hours, SRP trainers offered demonstrations and information about substation and transformer fires, electrical hazards, and incident command. "We took them on-site at the Kyrene 500-kV Receiving Station and they got a first-hand view of the equipment and learned about clearances and how to effectively work with SRP in the event of fires at any of our power facilities," said Decker Williams, Lineman, Preventative Distribution Maintenance.

Williams and Bobby Booth, Working Line Foreman, Preventative Distribution Maintenance, organized the training and coordinated with fire departments in the three communities. They concentrated their training efforts on commercial and residential transformer equipment and hazards, as well as the hazards of electrical contact.

Switchyard and classroom training

Trainers Bob Duarte, Section Supervisor, Substation Maintenance, and Mark Hoffman, Senior Safety and Health Specialist, Safety Services, provided switchyard and classroom training. Also on hand to provide information were Jim Davidson, Manager, Safety Services, and Ed Copp, Manager, Business Continuity & Emergency Management, who spoke about SRP's commitment to local fire departments.

Duarte has undergone formal incident command training and is a member of SRP's Incident Command, making him one of a handful of SRP liaisons in the event of a substation/switchyard fire.

"Most of the cadets had not taken a course in basic electricity and none had been inside a substation or a switchyard. This helped give them points of awareness so that if they do actually fight a substation or a switchyard fire they will know the on-site hazards and know how to follow incident command," said Duarte.

Duarte noted that even in normal circumstances, energized substations and switchyards are hazardous places - a fire just intensifies the danger. One example of a fire danger unique to switchyards and substations, Duarte told cadets, involves oil retention basins. During fire suppression the water can drain into a retention basin. The basin fills up and overflows and, because oil is lighter than water, the oil spreads first which can further fuel the fire.

Entry procedures and incident command

Duarte provided cadets with a thorough briefing in proper entry procedures into a substation or switchyard, observing proper electrical clearance distances (how close firefighters can be with their equipment to SRP's energized equipment), the difference between de- energized and de-energized and grounded, and fire suppression measures (foam or water). He reviewed with them lessons learned from fighting fires at Westwing Substation and Santan and Desert Basin generating stations.

Duarte spoke about SRP's role in assisting and accommodating firefighters and other first responders as part of incident command (in the event of a large-scale or imminent emergency, the responding fire departments set up an incident command center composed of decision-making entities).

"We can work together more effectively when we reach a common understanding. We need to understand the way firefighters do their work and they need to understand how we work. Everyone needs to have a better understanding of each others' technical terminology," said Duarte.