Firefighters' concern over Operation Stack lorry park
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EXCLUSIVE
by political editor Paul Francis
pfrancis@thekmgroup.co.uk
Fire chiefs have raised questions over how they would cope with
a major incident at a lorry park planned by Kent County Council to
deal with Operation Stack.
The concerns appear in a previously unpublished report
commissioned by the county council to examine the impact of a lorry
park.
The report by consultants Jacobs was released to the KM Group
under the Freedom of Information Act.
In a chapter outlining the fire safety strategy, Kent Fire and
Rescue Service says the scheme presents a unique level of risk and
tackling a major incident may prove 'unmanageable' if the design of
the park remains unchanged.
It also reveals it could take nearly half-an-hour before
firefighters were able to tackle any incident and the service's
capability would be severely stretched should more than 10 lorries
be involved in a fire.
The county council is examining fresh options for a low cost, no
frills scheme to cope with Operation Stack. It says the 1,700 page
impact assessment, completed two years ago, is effectively
out-of-date.
However, the report underlines the complex logistical problems
the county council is likely to face in building any sort of
temporary lorry park on its preferred site off the M20 at Aldington
near Ashford.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) was asked to comment on what
might happen in the event of a serious incident and the strategy
proposed.
Its 12-page detailed response – which was incorporated into the
draft report – raised concerns about whether such an incident
could be successfully handled and the wide-ranging steps needed to
minimise the risks.
It said: "The proposals for an Operation Stack lorry park
present a unique level of risk to the KFRS and the potential for a
major incident is clear where the life risk may be considered as
high.
"The likelihood exists that a developing fire of the nature
identified in the Jacobs fire engineer's report may be unmanageable
on KFRS' arrival if the design proposals remain as they are."
It goes on to say that lorries trying to escape "may greatly
hinder access routes into the site for KFRS vehicles" and that
"access roads from the motorways in around the park may become
clogged very quickly."
In another comment, it suggests the assessment by Jacobs of how
a fire may spread "may be beyond the capability of KFRS on primary
arrival and the likelihood is that any such fire may continue to
spread unchecked to involve a large number of other vehicles,
depending on fire location and wind direction."
It outlines a series of measures that might be needed to
mitigate the impact.
- Kent Fire and Rescue Service was asked to discuss the report
but declined to do so, saying that it was a draft report and there
would be no merit in answering questions about a scheme that may
not happen.
Monday, September 05 2011
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