The Podlasie province, a top region in raising funds from the European Union, has signed a declaration on cooperation with Lviv Oblast. This should create new opportunities on a way for EU money. (own info)
How Szymek Became a Firefighter
Every child has dreams, but not every child has a chance to fulfill them. Especially when a disease makes some great dreams of small children doomed to fail. Can this be prevented? Of course! A very successful "Fundacja Mam Marzenie" ("I Have a Wish Foundation") is the best proof. By Lech Lewandowski
INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH
Spokespersons to the media!
Interventionist group of spokespersons, new training system and promoting the job of a fire-fighter - these are the ideas of Brigadier Paweł Frątczak for activating the contacts between the SFS and the media. (own info)
Cessna on the Bottom of the Vistula River
On 15 September, at 10.12 the city control room received a call about an emergency landing of a light aircraft on the Vistula River, near Żerań Canal. The witnesses to the accident claimed that before the aircraft sank, the pilot had left the cockpit, jumped into the river and tried to reach the right bank of the Vistula River. Piotr Tabencki describes the search and rescue action.
Search and Rescue Action in Masuria on 21-31 August
Black Days after White Squall
Many sailing lovers have heard about white squall only from their older colleagues or during preparatory courses teaching them the safety rules for this beautiful sport. On 21 August the sailors on the Great Masurian Lakes saw how unpredictable the weather can be and how great the power of nature is. The search and rescue action on the Great Masurian Lakes involved the resources of the SFS on a scale unprecedented on water areas in Poland. By Zbigniew Jarosz
Water Echo
A group of experts from the Polish Navy also participated in the search action following the white squall. Their task was to locate and determine, with the help of sonars, the position of victims and vessels, which were at the bottom of the Mikołajskie Lake, the Tałta Lake and the Łabap Lake. Dariusz Grabiec presents the technical means and the tactics of the search actions used by the Polish Navy.
Downpour in a City
Heavy rainfalls can flood and damage dozens or even hundreds of buildings and areas. They pose a great threat for people and environment and are connected with extremely intensive rescue activities. Jerzy Ranecki presents a guide to the organization of such activities based on the example of rescue action after a downpour in the city area of Poznań in August.
Fire Investigation Workshop FIW 01/2007
The fire was caused by...
Determining the causes of fires is a difficult process, which requires interdisciplinary knowledge from the institution and people engaged. To draw proper conclusions after the inspection and to prove the assumed hypotheses in accordance with the process requirements, it is necessary to have appropriate procedures, specially prepared experts, research and development background, laboratories and implemented procedures regulating researches proper for samples and evidences secured on the site of a fire. For the first time in Poland, the Fire Service College of the SFS in Poznań hosted the fire investigation workshop, which consisted of 50 hours of theoretical and practical classes. The workshop was a part of a bigger project, which should result in improved standards in this field. By Piotr Guzewski
"Wieżowiec 2007" ("Skyscraper 2007")
Sweat a the 30th floor
In September the Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science has opened its Byzantine interior to the lovers of the firefighting extreme sport for the third time. The result of the race to the 30th floor was not a surprise - the Belarusian team was again the best in running up the stairs in full equipment and breathing apparatus. Aleksandr Kliuyko, Valentin Yermashkievitch and Dmitri Decuk gave other participants no chances. They won with an impressive result of 4 minutes and 13.41 seconds. (own info)
Heat on the Żar Mountain
Construction disaster and a fire in a pumped storage plant on one day - the firefighters from the Silesia province had to face this challenge during exercises carried out in Międzybrodzie Żywieckie and Międzybrodzie Bialskie in September. Report by Agnieszka Rękas
Brand New Jack
Long-awaited by the firefighters, the new SHD-25 jacks produced by Bumar in the town of Koszalin will replace archaic SH-18 jacks and other rope rescue equipment, whose age increasingly often sparks the interest of museum workers. By Zbigniew Szablewski
Scientific Anniversary
Scientific and Research Centre for Fire Protection (CNBOP) in Józefów celebrated its 35th anniversary with a new investment - Customer Service Centre. Fire Review talks with dr inż Eugeniusz W. Roguski, General Director of CNBOP. (own info)
Congress of Important Questions
The 12th National Congress of the Volunteer Fire Service of the Republic of Poland was held in Warsaw on 30 September 2007. Gathered in the EXPO XXI Center, the delegates assessed the achievements of the organization during the elapsing term of office, whose second part found completely different social and political conditions. (own info)
State, Volunteer, or of the Local Governments?
What kind of fire service?
Looking for the answer on the question asked in the title most of us try to compare Polish solutions to the solutions chosen by our closest neighbours and other countries of Europe and the world. However, the literature on the subject and the experience gained during contacts with the representatives of foreign fire services proves that Polish model of the State Fire Service and the National Rescue and Firefighting System is unique and amazes everyone, who gets to know it. The distinctness of the Polish state fire service and rescue system, the core of the fire service, from the solutions adopted in the European Union raises questions about the legitimacy of maintaining both the service and the system in this form. Therefore, the claim that the fire service should be self-governing and voluntary, like in other European countries, seems to be right and based on substantive prerequisites. However, the conditions in which the Western fire service was formed should be taken into account. By Dariusz Wróblewski
Air Arsonists (2)
"At a height of 2,500 m the life on earth loses its significance ..." - these words of a German airman taking part in a bomb attack on the town of Wieluń in September 1939 perfectly reflects the essence of an air war. Another article in the series by Paweł Rochala
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