FCP Battle Rages Above While Damage Control Skills Tested Below Decks
9 March 2010
15 casualties evacuated and treated, vital skills tested and valuable lessons learned.
They were some of the results of the major damage control exercise conducted aboard HMAS Anzac (CAPT Peter Quinn, CSC) during the Fleet Concentration Period last week.
The exercise scenario involved a toxic hazard deep within the ship, sparking a search for ‘casualties’ through many compartments on the lower decks.
Meanwhile four decks above, the battle raged on in the operations room as HMA Ships Anzac, Darwin, Sirius, Arunta, Warramunga and HMNZS Te Mana defended themselves from ‘Avalonian’ aircraft attacks.
The exercise initially began as a Standing Sea Fire Brigade (SSFB) exercise and was then expanded to involve the whole of the ship’s company once the number of ‘casualties’ was revealed.
Two SSFB members earning special mention for their efforts dealing with casualties in the exercise were ABSTD Kiri Beuermann and ABCK Kathlene Hazeldene.
Lasting about an hour and half, the major damage control exercise was the largest toxic hazard exercise undertaken in the ship since the start of FCP.
In weeks one and two of FCP, Anzac focused on fires and floods in its damage control exercises.
“The primary focus of FCP is on honing our war fighting skills, but it’s also important to develop the full range of mariner skills as much as possible, including damage control”, CAPT Quinn said.
“The exercise proved the ship’s damage control organisation could sustain the supply of breathing apparatus to teams for an extended period and that we can deal with a mass casualty situation.
“While it proved that we are strong in some areas, it also showed us where we need to focus our training to improve.
“Overall, a very successful training outcome”, CAPT Quinn said.
