Wild West Show Down at GovSec West 2013

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Nov 21, 2013

It was a Wild West show down at GovSec West 2013 at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas when I battled a hoist and a hazmat suit!

Rounding the corner to the left of the entrance to the exhibitors, I caught sight of a huge trailer parked in the corner, complete with fog being expelled from inside and a mannequin connected to a hoist on the roof with a steel ladder extending downward onto the ground. Yellow hazmat suits dangled from hangers looped onto the trailer, and rubber boots were readily available. With a scene like this, I just couldn’t help myself.

I approached the display and was met by Chris Koester who explained that he is a safety instructor with Priority One Safe-T Consulting and Northeast Technology Center as well as captain of the Springfield, MO fire department. Then, he quickly said, “You want to try?”

Of course that was all it took.

In a matter of seconds, he along with two other instructors sprang into action, one climbing to the top of the truck to master the hoist and the other handing me a harness with buckles and clasps, while Koester explained how to put it on and tighten it so that I could safely be hoisted from the inside of the truck through a tiny square opening on the vehicle’s roof via a heavy-duty cord attached to my harness with carabiners. The safety cord was even attached as a precaution.

Walking inside the trailer with my white hard hat in place, the instructor in charge of the hoist started winding as I started to lift into the air. Honestly, I felt a little like a piñata as I slightly swung, levitating off the sturdy ground of the trailer. I could hear the cranking of the lever of the hoist as I slowly and smoothly rose higher and higher. Grasping the sides of the square cut-out in the roof of the trailer, I guided myself through and grabbing the hand of the “hoist master,” I balanced and steadily stepped onto the roof of the trailer. Success!

On the way back down, I was told to point my toes and lock my legs as an instructor guided me down through the square opening and safely onto the floor of the trailer.

Next, the instructor showed me a small, round tunnel that led into the other side of the trailer where I would be met with fog to simulate a confined space emergency. Bending down, I crawled like a rat through the short tunnel and emerged safely on the other side to an environment filled with simulated vapor.

I jumped up, arms in the air...victory was mine…or so I thought.

Exiting the trailer, Koester said, “This next?” as he pointed to the florescent yellow hazmat suit. I couldn’t stop now, so I responded, “Of course!”

I was handed a head encompassing contraption to put onto my head to which I complied…never mind the hat hair that was to come!

I then sat down in a chair and lifted my legs as two instructors, one on either side of me, proceeded to dress me with the hazmat suit. It felt like a huge tarp that had been sewn to resemble a onesie for babies! I lifted my legs as each instructor slipped my feet into the proper place into the foot holster and slid the leg part up, stopping at my waist.

“Can you hold 30 pounds on your back,” I heard one of the instructors ask.

Having grown up in the country hauling hay and horse feed, I proudly responded, “yes.”

The next thing I knew, I had an oxygen tank attached to my back, steadied around my waist with a leather belt and arm straps. I placed my arms into the hazmat suit and extended my hands all the way to the end of each arm where black rubber gloves attached to the suit awaited my hands and fingers.

The instructors then hooked up the oxygen line to my head dress telling me to breathe in deeply to start the flow of oxygen. The hazmat suit was then zipped up, encasing my whole body and I was off, walking down an aisle at GovSec West, sporting the yellow suit.

Koester and the other two instructors are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to training and demonstrating the necessary skills to act appropriately and responsibly during emergency situations. The Northeast Technology Center HazMat & Confined Space Training Trailer is a valuable tool that can be used to simulate various hazardous materials and confined space emergencies while instructors can safely control the training scenarios enabling people to effectively learn in a hands-on environment.

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • The Key to Wellbeing in the Office

    A few years ago, all we saw in the news was the ‘great resignation.’ Now we have another ‘great’ to deal with. According to CBRE, 2023 was the start of the ‘great return’ as office workers returned to their normal offices after working from home. The data shows that two-thirds of all U.S office buildings were more than 90% leased as of Q2 2023. Read Now

  • Failed Cybersecurity Controls Costing U.S. Businesses $30 Billion Yearly

    Panaseer recently released ControlWatch and the Continuous Controls Battle: Panaseer 2025 Security Leaders Report examining the cost of cybersecurity control failures and the impact of growing personal liability for security failings on security leaders. The report analyzes the findings of a survey of 400 security decision makers (SDMs) across the US and UK. It shows that security leaders feel under increasing pressure to provide assurances around cybersecurity, exposing them to greater personal risk – yet many lack the data and resources to accurately report and close cybersecurity gaps. Read Now

  • The Business Case for Video Analytics: Understanding the Real ROI

    For security professionals who may be hesitant to invest in video analytics, now's the time to reconsider. In a newly released Omdia report commissioned by BriefCam (now Milestone Systems), the research firm uncovered a compelling story: more than 85% of North American and European organizations that use video analytics achieve a return on investment within just one year. The study, which surveyed 140 end users across multiple industries, demonstrates that security technology is no longer just for security — it's a cross-organizational tool that delivers measurable business value far beyond traditional safety applications. Read Now

  • Survey: 54% of Organizations Cite Technical Debt as Top Hurdle to Identity System Modernization

    Modernizing identity systems is proving difficult for organizations due to two key challenges: decades of accumulated Identity and Access Management (IAM) technical debt and the complexity of managing access across multiple identity providers (IDPs). These findings come from the new Strata Identity-commissioned report, State of Multi-Cloud Identity: Insights and Trends for 2025. The report, based on survey data from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), highlights trends and challenges in securing cloud environments. The CSA is the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation. 3

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3