Bright - "Dedicated Fire and Safety Crews"

[peckstar]

team medical


Dr Carl Lee

it seems we already have a dedicated medical crew

[fomoco]

As a Voluteer Marshall/Steward, I am well aware of the need for safety at Race Meetings. I whole heartly support the need for a Fire Response Crew and a Medical Crew to follow cars of any Category, on the opening lap in Race conditions.

The response by the Fire Crew and members from teams at Barbagallo was fantastic. Having had to do Fire training each year for the past 20 years, as part of my employment, I would congratulate all those involved.

I have been to race mmettings were a medic car,carrying Para Medics ,follow the cars on the opening lap of each race.

I know this maybe an extra cost cost, but i fully support this.

V8's Larko Paul Morris, Konica/Fujitsu At Willow Bank , One of the Wanless boys involved, various support category's at events around Aust every weekend

We still need the volunteers, we need to have a Wagon with Para Medics at each Major event and Ambo's etc at all Club, State, National Series rounds.(I accept that some meetings have Doctors and Hospitals close by)

Maybe Cams could introduce a new Marshall, MEDIC, to our flag points, say every second Flag Point has a Medic as part of the Team.

Even more at Street Circuits, I have First Aid training, but nothing that a Medic would have. We have Trauma Kits avaiable today so why not intoduce Medics to the Flag Points?

Just Some thoughts.

WELL DONE TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AT BARBAGALLO

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by peckstar

team medical


Dr Carl Le

it seems we already have a dedicated medical crew

And you have just learned that? I thought it was old news?

BTW, my earlier "rumour" post was NOT about Dr Carl Le, I know Dr. Carl's history quite well

[peckstar]

i didnt know we had a dedicated one, had assumed they changed from track to track like the other safety crew, what was your post about then?

[Trevor]

There was lots of hype by the commentators on Sunday, they were infering that ALL Doctors carried Dr Carls' quals and experience and this isn't so.

[GTRMagic]

Mr Reindler obviously thought a lot of their efforts!

[Senna05]

I'm pleased that there's been some fantastic discussion.

Sadly, I feel motorsport, like most sports, does not have a 100% correct answer - but I'm just a fan, and hearing some of the comments from those in the know identifies to me that we do need to fix a few things. A "professional" sport needs a more professional approach to this aspect, but clearly it doesn't need to be overdone.

Thanks for your input guys and gals. Hopefully someone from VESA is watching!

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Mr Reindler obviously thought a lot of their efforts!

http://www.sjog.org.au/hospitals/pin...i=&sb=&hs=&sp= I think the reference to other Docotrs was a reference to the Doctors at the hospital

[GTRMagic]

Dr Le and Dr Boekelaar were at the circuit, in the chase car...

[GTRMagic]

KR Confirms He Did Not Set Off Fire Bomb

Perhaps there should be mandatory training for such things each season, so the pilots know the activation process for their unique chassis?

[Trevor]

Maybe they could be set off by a heat sensor automatically

[Stephen Green]

The good thing, if there is such a thing in an incident such as this, is that we all learn from it.

Having looked at the video, in my opinion the fire guys did a superb job and in good time.

I would like to point out that marshals in all countries are very well trained in how to deal with fires at race meetings, so I don't really see the benefit of having a permanent team that follows the series. This is probably more relevant in Australia due to the large distances you cover between race circuits, unlike the UK in general. I have the utmost respect for my fellow marshals in Australia and think they conducted themselves with consummate professionalism.

It is always easy to look back after the event and think "yes, I would have done that differently" but isn't that the same in everything we do in life?

Just to clear up one other point, when the red flag is shown cars should immediately slow down and return to the start line or pits, whichever they directed to do so by the marshals. This allows marshals and other circuit staff to operate track side in relative safety although the rule of thumb is that you don't go track side until the last car has passed your position.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

KR Confirms He Did Not Set Off Fire Bomb

Perhaps there should be mandatory training for such things each season, so the pilots know the activation process for their unique chassis?

i assume there is a button somewhere for this, is it on the steering wheel or elsewhere?

[oz_watcher]

Originally Posted by PVDA

The only photo's and vision I've seen are of team members jumping the wall and handing extinguishers over but with the number of photo's and vision of this on line I might not have stumbled across the pic you are referring to yet.

With so many people in fire suits running around even someone like myself who knows who is who can sometimes struggle to workout if it's a marshal or crew member in some photo's.

https://www.facebook.com/vern.norrgard?sk=photos

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by peckstar

i assume there is a button somewhere for this, is it on the steering wheel or elsewhere?

Switch inside a special collar in the car plus an external, marked activation point for marshals.

Whether or not it would have had any impact would depend on where the outlet nozzles are located - generally concentrated in the engine bay. Location of jets not generally mandated so only the team concerned would know where the spray would have gone if activated.

[Woolley]

Not sure about there, but here there is a spray nozzle pointed directly at the driver.

The marshals on the scene did a superb job, not quite sure what a dedicated team would have done differently. The advantage of marshals everywhere having the training to do this is that they are fully skilled up for meetings other than V8.

Again up here race starts are followed be a Rescue vehicle with doctor on board and a fire car with a big foam extinguisher. However, for knocking down flames, dry powder is much more efficient. Foam keeps it from reigniting.

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by peckstar

team medical


Dr Carl Lee

it seems we already have a dedicated medical crew

You would be correct, but team medical aren't at every V8 round...

[Just Do It!]

Does Carl do the F1 every year as well? I know one of the other F1 medical team and am not sure if it is a shared/split role.

Why would Carl be at Barbagallo but not all rounds? Seems odd

[bludvl_x19]

Ok, Dr Carl is the Series Doctor for the V8SC. Medical crews vary from track to track, with team medical getting the lions share due to Dr Carl being (or was in the past) the organiser of them. RACESAFE is another medical crew that are used, and the law of probability means there is likely to be another as well. All are well trained, and can do the job very well, but Dr Carl and his driver (in the white Porsche) are the only constants throughout the year. I don't know if Carl does the GP.

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by oz_watcher

On Facebook a V8 photographer has also posted pics of two fire marshalls sitting on the pit wall during the initial whole thing, and handing one of the pit crew guys their extinguisher.....

Thanks for the link to the photo's oz, I had seen these prior to your link and original post.

To answer your comment above from earlier.

There is already 10 or more people running around emptying extinuishers onto the fire/s so adding a few more is a waste of time so by hanging back and observing they're doing the right thing and ready to go in if required.

As for handing thier extinguisher to a crew member. I cant see that in any of the photo's as the photo angle and body positions change and you can no longer see the extinguisher if it is still on the wall. Plus the JD suited crew member running past has a different extinguisher style in his hand if that's the extinguisher you're talking about.

[Razor]

Seems that Karl needs to have a skin graft operation on his right hand.

http://www.speedcafe.com.au/2011/05/...on-burnt-hand/

[peckstar]

I've been thinking about this more and i really dont understand why the "fire bomb" is not automatic or at least has an automatic option.

it was 1000 degrees in side the car (apparently) surely there has to be some system that is not going to go off accidently and provide assistance to the driver in the case of the fire

Karl didn't even think about it as he was panicking to escape (fair enough) , we cant rely on fire marshals to be there quick enough and when they do then they need to get to the point to set it off which takes more time,

If they driver is unconscious or trapped/injured he is potently stuffed

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by peckstar

If they driver is unconscious or trapped/injured he is potently stuffed

and potentially stuffed as well

[Crash Test]

Another safety crew is the Emergency Management Team.

[Senna05]

Originally Posted by peckstar

I've been thinking about this more and i really dont understand why the "fire bomb" is not automatic or at least has an automatic option.

it was 1000 degrees in side the car (apparently) surely there has to be some system that is not going to go off accidently and provide assistance to the driver in the case of the fire

Karl didn't even think about it as he was panicking to escape (fair enough) , we cant rely on fire marshals to be there quick enough and when they do then they need to get to the point to set it off which takes more time,

If they driver is unconscious or trapped/injured he is potently stuffed

I was thinking about this over the week, and discussing it with some peers who teach technics - automated fire systems in a hot car can be tricky. As can remote systems. However, an external trigger somewhere that can be activated by marshals (left and right B Pillar perhaps) might be the go?

I was also talking to some peers in my other employment. There are runways around the world that have foam trucks as a supplemental. Many of these, as they have to run on grass that can be boggy, are 4x4. Could this be something VESA looks at? It might be a problem at larger tracks where the infield is a pain (Bathurst, Yas Marina, Street Circuits) but surely a dedicated fire crew at these places as well would be.