A simulation exercise of possible attacks on the Pi Glilot
fuel depot near Herzliah conducted on Monday revealed that
the emergency forces are not prepared to handle a successful
mass-casualty attack, lo oleinu.
The simulation encompassed three different scenarios in which
a missile or an airplane crash into the compound resulted in
a giant fire. Forty-five firemen participated in the
exercise. One simulation was of a crash of a light aircraft,
a second of a bomb, and the third a hit by a missile.
The fuel depot is located in the middle of a heavily
populated area just north of Tel Aviv and near one of the
busiest intersections in the country. It is scheduled to be
relocated, but in the meantime it suffered two attacks within
the past year. Bechasdei Hashem both caused no
casualties and little damage. However the attempts focused
public attention on the fuel depot. Tens of thousands live
and work very close to the depot and many would be affected
if there were a serious disaster, lo oleinu.
"We could cope with a fire at Pi Glilot, but an attack that
affected the surrounding area would be impossible," a Fire
Department official said after the exercise. "We have no
equipment to deal with hazardous materials and not even a
single rescue crane."
"There is an enormous gap between the equipment needed for a
mass-casualty event and the equipment available," the source
added. "There is not enough rescue equipment, there are no
modern fire trucks, there are not enough firemen and we lack
hundreds of protective suits for hazardous materials." He
noted that there are currently some 1,500 firemen nationwide,
but only 100 protective suits. He said that at least 500 are
needed.
Ramat Hasharon Mayor Gabi Paran on Monday rescinded the
closure order he had slapped on the site on Sunday. Paran
shut down the site because the Fire Department had declared
it a fire hazard, due to threats by Pi Glilot's management,
which is embroiled in a dispute over the payment of water
bills with two gas companies operating out of the facility,
to stop supplying them with water.
According to the Fire Department, Pi Glilot had said it would
not restore the water supply even if a fire broke out. But Pi
Glilot managers promised Paran on Monday that under no
circumstances would they cut off the flow of water to fire-
fighting facilities.
Infrastructure Minister Effi Eitam said that he would review
results of the simulations that fall under his
jurisdiction.
