Incident management in the Port of Abidjan: How to prepare the operational response of emergency services?

Ports are at the interface of maritime, air and land transport (road/rail). Consequently, they are a nerve centre through their concentration of risks (handling or storage of chemical products, risk of fire/explosions, etc.), for both private and public emergency services. In addition to the conventional methods implemented during an emergency operation (intervention/protection) and downstream (repairs/feedback), it is therefore essential to establish measures to detect an accident as soon as it occurs and put in place logical, coordinated and rapid intervention means and methods to deal with it.

Preparing the operational response to risks

Ports in Africa have now become aware of this issue and the consequences that a disaster could have on people, property and the environment. They have also become aware of the fact that their incident management services needed to strengthen the preparation of the operational prevention response. This is in addition to measures to evacuate people in danger, limit the risks of fires breaking out and spreading and facilitate emergency interventions.

It is in this context of the preparation of the operational response that WeCAPS, a European Union project implemented by Expertise France, has offered to support the incident management service of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan. The main objective of the workshop, which was organised from 24 to 28 February 2020, was to establish regulations for the procedures of the incident management service as a common base for responders, from the team members to the firefighting equipment officer.

Preparation of an incident management handbook for the Port of Abidjan

This workshop, led by two professional civil security trainers, resulted in the preparation of the regulations for procedures by ten PPA officers who contributed their expertise to the development of the document. Together, they studied the context (assessment taking the operational and technical realities into account, needs assessment) and analysed their organisation and means in order to provide an operational response adapted to the risks. This involved developing a common technical base, which is useful for staff training and essential for interventions. The final document, called Handbook for Operational Techniques (HOT) “Procedures for Pair Work”, therefore takes into account the adaptation requirements resulting from realities on the ground.

According to Philippe Veber, a trainer during the workshop and professional officer in the fire service, “The Handbooks for Operational Techniques (HOTs) aim to fix the knowledge, know-how and life skills that are essential for carrying out the various operations and the training beforehand, preparing staff to cope with the unthinkable and minimising operational impossibilities. The HOTs are also essential for learning retention in terms of the knowledge integrated during the initial training”.

The handbook, which results from this collaborative work, needs to be validated by the PAA authorities. It will also serve as a support for the WeCAPS team and will subsequently be developed and adapted in the other incident management services of the ports eligible under the project.

During the official presentation of the HOT at the end of the workshop, Samuel Champon, a civil protection expert from the project, also said: “As the saying goes, ‘Writing what you are going to do and doing what you have written’ with an analysis of needs, the existing equipment and organisations is an approach that ensures the success of operations for first responders. Supporting port operators in the context of training and learning retention is not an end in itself. The support also needs to include prevention and operational preparation. The Handbook for Operational Techniques “Procedures for Pair Work” is a perfect example of this.”

In the near future, the WeCAPS project plans to build the capacities of the emergency services of PAA and other West and Central Africa ports by:

• Preparing and planning the implementation of operational means;

• Studying the external defence against fire, i.e. all the fixed and permanent facilities which may be used to supply water to the firefighting capabilities, for example, fire pillars and hydrants;

• Developing and updating maps and map data (GIS, maps of municipalities, etc.) which are required for interventions;

• Developing pre-fire plans (PFP), i.e. decision guidance documents, produced in view of the risks identified on a site, and because of the complexity of premises, the immediate environment and the difficulties that the emergency services would have for their intervention.

The project will also carry out tactical training missions (first aid, fire prevention, nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical (NRBC), antipollution, etc.) and strategic missions via crisis management training for operational decision-makers.

To find out more, consult the WeCAPS project sheet

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