Leading us on a tour of the warehouse system, Major Tran Huy Hung, Captain of the K54 General Warehouse, said: "The Petroleum Warehouse was built about 30 years ago, with the task of storing, preserving, and distributing petroleum to units of the 1st Corps to carry out regular, combat-ready, and emergency tasks. Due to many years of use, all levels are very interested in investing funds to repair, maintain, and upgrade the system of tanks, pipelines, warehouses, fire prevention and fighting equipment, ensuring good fuel reception and distribution in all conditions. In 2022, the Warehouse will be invested with more than 1 billion VND, combined with the efforts of the troops to repair, upgrade, and renovate the system of tanks, warehouses, equipment, fire fighting tools, and install a new petroleum distribution system, which can receive and distribute 5 to 7 tank trucks at the same time."

Officers and employees practice handling fire fighting situations, ensuring safety at fuel depots. Photo: HUYEN KHUE

According to Major Tran Huy Hung, to ensure safety in all aspects, officers and employees always attach importance to the work of building a regular order, ensuring adequate floor plans, technology, internal rules and regulations of operation. The processes of receiving, distributing, operating pumping stations, preserving and maintaining petroleum equipment and weapons; the system of signs, slogans... are designed and arranged fully according to prescribed forms; the plan for preventing and fighting fires and explosions, and on-site combat is built methodically and in detail, regularly adjusted and supplemented; the system of warehouses and fuel tanks is numbered according to regulations. Warehouse operations are also maintained in order according to unified regulations, with a schedule of distribution, preservation and maintenance divided specifically during the week. Before carrying out fuel receiving and distributing activities, the on-duty staff reports to commanders at all levels to arrange forces ready to handle fire and explosion situations, ensuring safety for people, vehicles and materials; When receiving and distributing fuel, professional principles must be strictly followed.

A corner of the warehouse. Photo: HUYEN KHUE

A corner of the warehouse. Photo: HUYEN KHUE

Through observation, we found that the equipment, tools, water tanks, sand pits... for fire prevention and fighting are maintained in sufficient quantity and good quality by the Warehouse. Equipment, tools and fire hydrants are arranged around the vertical and submerged tank clusters. On the roof of each vertical tank, an automatic water sprinkler system is installed to cool the tanks when the outside temperature is too high or to be used in case of fire or explosion. The Warehouse also has 2 large capacity fire pump houses with many hydrants and 1 mobile water pump, 3 rotating nozzles with vortex jets to extinguish the fire in 3 directions, ensuring the fastest fire extinguishing. The entire warehouse area is built with surrounding walls; a protective lighting system is installed and there is a sufficient lightning protection system. The valve systems, fuel pipes are checked periodically and before fuel is exported or imported. Every month, officers and employees organize training and practice fire prevention, fire fighting, and on-site combat to protect the warehouse twice.

Along with the above measures, the Depot commander regularly coordinates and cooperates with friendly units, fire prevention and fighting police in the stationed area to participate in practicing fire prevention and fighting plans and handling fuel depot fire situations. At the same time, actively invest in purchasing, maintaining, repairing, and upgrading pipeline systems and filling valves to avoid fuel leakage; encourage officers and employees to actively research and apply technical innovations and information technology in management work... Thanks to that, over the years, the Oil Depot has not allowed to lose or have a deficit beyond the allowable level, ensuring adequate fuel and specialized materials for tasks, maintaining absolute safety in all aspects.

KHANH TU