The workday is drawing to a close; with timecard in hand, my thoughts turn toward dinner. Suddenly, an alarm sounds in the cargo office. “Attention, South Pole. There is a glycol spill in the vehicle maintenance facility.”
We all stop what we’re doing and listen. Glycol, an antifreeze, can be harmless enough to handle — we deal with it often when replacing the coolant in heavy equipment. But if ingested by the body, it’s very toxic. Two years ago, a glycol spill occurred in the power plant. Spilling glycol vaporized on the hot engines of the generator, fumigating the room. While the situation was handled admirably and no one was seriously hurt, the incident has made many doubly wary.
We turn up our radios and listen as the emergency response teams begin radioing in. South Pole’s emergency response is an all-volunteer, employee-staffed team, structured around the FEMA incident command system. Anyone with previous medical or emergency response experience is eagerly recruited in the beginning of the season.
Emergency responders are divided into four teams. The first team immediately responds to the alarm, without stopping for gear. They assess the situation and pass that information on to Communications and to the Incident Command. When a fire alarm goes off, the seriousness and needs are unknown until an in-person assessment has been made. Team One members are the ones to feel the door — is it hot? — and relay information. Once everyone else has arrived, they become the scene security.
Team Two is our volunteer fire brigade. The fire brigade personnel are trained at a two-week fire school before coming to Antarctica. When an alarm sounds, they go straight to their lockers and don their gear and SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus), then report to the scene prepared for whatever situations might be there.
The third team, meanwhile, is responsible for logistics and support. Rather than reporting immediately to the scene, they use the information from Team One to coordinate the response. What’s needed — fans? Trauma gear? Radio batteries? Team Three gathers supplies and ensures that all necessary materials make it to the scene.
Last is the trauma team. Team Four reports immediately to the scene, grabbing whatever trauma gear they can along the way. They are trained at a basic level in medical first response, patient assessment, patient packaging and how to transport the hurt. An advanced trauma team is further trained to assist the physician’s assistant and the doctor on-station. Were there a large emergency at South Pole Station, there is only one doctor and one physician’s assistant for almost 300 people; the advanced trauma team would play a big supporting role in such an event.
Standing in the cargo office, I listen to all teams mobilize on the Land Mobile Radio system. Our concern is quickly relieved — within minutes of the alarm sounding the situation has been assessed. It’s determined that the glycol spill is controlled and the area is safe. The fire team and maintenance personnel go in, using oxygen as a precaution, ready to fix the cause of the spill. As the initial adrenaline rush that always accompanies any alarm subsides, a cleanup team is prepared. The Team Three leader calls our office. “Please bring mops and buckets.”
Every potential emergency is taken very seriously here — we’re extremely far removed from outside aid. Because we are all we have here, everyone has dual roles and helps in emergencies. Piston-bully and snowmobile operators improvise as ambulance drivers. Many — scientists, mechanics, carpenters and dishwashers alike — get emergency first aid training and become our EMTs. Other men and women can drop their jobs to become our firefighters. All these roles must be filled by us. No outside team of full-time professionals could be called in.
Several key points make South Pole Emergency Response successful. One is training. Because of different backgrounds and experiences, all volunteers dedicate a lot of time to training. Drills familiarize everyone with the system and working together. And while supplies are limited and procuring them is challenging, trauma team members are trained in how to use the gear we have. Caches of trauma gear are placed at various locations around the station. Communication is a key component. The LMR system has channels dedicated to emergency response. During one emergency, both the power briefly went out and the LMR system went down; in this event, a system of runners was quickly established, and people delivered information and messages on foot. Quick thinking and innovation with what we have on hand are critical.
Though minor, the alarm and the speedy response reassure me. I walk home feeling safe.
Meg Adams, who grew up in Holden and graduated from John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor and Vassar College in New York, shares her experiences with readers each Friday. For more about her adventures, go to the BDN Web site: bangordailynews.com or e-mail her at madams@bangordailynews.net.