Molson Cools: Operation Downwind | Industrial Photography

Safety is paramount when it comes to industrial sites and facilities. Safety drills can be quite large and complex operations; however, they are vital to the safety of not only employees, but rescuers and communities.

When I was approached to document Operation Downwind, a simulated chemical spill response drill at the Molson brewery by Pearson International Airport, I knew this was going to be a large, unique, and very important corporate photography project.

Operation Downwind was a large-scale emergency response drill which involved the co-operation and co-ordination of Molson-Coors Canada, Toronto Fire Department, Toronto Police, Toronto Ambulance, and the GTAA.

Scope:

• Assemble a team of videographers and a licensed drone pilot.
• Pre-drill site visit and walkthrough to map out key locations of activity, and plan camera and drone locations.
• Day-of capturing of key moments of emergency response arrival, evacuation of the facility, casualty triage, and Operations Centre activity, while ensuring that we kept out of the way of participants and emergency responders.
• Delivery of retouched high-resolution images for use in corporate communications, training manuals, and partner communications.
• Delivery of a 2-minute corporate video that outlines the drill from start to finish, the response, and recap interviews with participants.

In the end, the operation was an outstanding success. The participants all learned from the exercise, we captured some fantastic footage, and our clients were more than satisfied with the results.