To fully benefit from the engineered protective systems designed into a complex industrial facility, a full complement of "human element" programs must also be established to (a) proactively prevent losses and (b) reactively control losses when an incident does occur. These actions are referred to as the "human element" aspect of risk control and include providing a Plant Emergency Organization (PEO) for incident response. Often this organization is referred to as an "industrial fire brigade" (but can also take on additional responsibilities such as EMS or control of hazardous materials spills, etc.). The scope of their intended responsibilities can only be determined following a careful on site hazard or risk analysis and a review of the available public or other locally available resources that can be quickly and effectively brought to bear in an effort to mitigate an incident.
Since achieving a successful outcome when an emergency situation occurs requires advanced planning and preparation, the business organization must determine the type of emergency response team that is most appropriate for them to establish. Criteria for making the decision of whether or not to embark on such a venture, and to what extent, is going to be based upon numerous factors including: the size of the site, financial resources available to fund the operational expenses, proximity and capabilities of the public fire department, severity of the (fire) hazards, and availability of qualified employees on all shifts to respond should an incident occur.
Although this paper will focus primarily on issues related to addressing fire related hazards, a similar decision making process would be followed when considering the creation of an internal response capability for other exposures such as emergency medical services or hazardous materials incident control. The intent is to logically walk the reader through the various key considerations for establishing and staffing a plant PEO, and the importance of each role within the plan; before, during and after the incident. It will also include a review of the primary fire department strategic objectives in emergency response and how these should be integrated into the overall facility emergency plan an organization should have in place.
