AN ERJ CAPT RPTED SERIOUS SHORTCOMINGS OF THE DEICING CREW AT RDU.

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BEFORE PUSHBACK AT RDU WE REQUESTED DEICING DUE TO THE MIXTURE OF PRECIPITATION AT THE FIELD. ICE PELLETS AND SNOW WERE HVY AT TIMES. WE PUSHED BACK AND WENT TO SPOT 4 FOR DEICING. A TRUCK PULLED UP AND PLUGGED IN. HE RPTED THAT; DUE TO THE AMOUNTS OF CUTBACKS IN STATION PERSONNEL; HE WAS NOT SURE WHEN WE WOULD BE DEICED. HE SAID HE WOULD BE SPRAYING THE ENG NACELLES DUE TO SNOW BUILDING IN THEM. WE HAD SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS. A HALF-HR LATER; WE SMELLED STRONG FUMES FROM THE DEICING TRUCK IN THE CABIN. WE WERE NEVER ASKED IF THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED FOR DEICING. WE INFORMED THE RAMP AND HE STOPPED THE DEICING PROCESS. NO PAX HAD BREATHING PROBS. HE NEEDED ANOTHER TRUCK; HE SAID; BECAUSE HE COULDN'T REACH THE TAIL WITH HIS ANYWAY. A HALF-HR LATER; ANOTHER TRUCK ARRIVED AND THEY COMMENCED DEICING. HE ASKED US IF WE WERE CONFIGURED THIS TIME. HALFWAY THROUGH THE PROCESS; WE STOPPED AND SAID THEY DIDN'T' CARRY BOTH TYPES OF FLUID THAT WE HAD ASKED FOR AT THE GATE. ANOTHER TRUCK WAS SENT FOR. THIS TRUCK BEGAN DEICING; BUT THEN BROKE DOWN. 20 MINS LATER; ANOTHER TRUCK ARRIVED AND DEICED US. THE QUALIFIED DEICER COULD NOT TELL US WHAT TYPE OF FLUID WE HAD BEEN SPRAYED WITH (SAE OF SAFEWING 2001). RDU NEEDS SERIOUS TRAINING FOR THE DEICE CREW. THEY NEED TO KNOW THE PROCS FOR DEICING; THE TERMINOLOGY; AS WELL AS HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. SEVERE PROB THERE.