"If I am in pain, or if I sprain my arm, I go to see a doctor who, depending on the case, examines me, looks for the cause of pain, applies a dressing. The situation is similar in the case of the mental sphere of an individual, just the professional help is provided by a psychologist. It has to be stated clearly that, speaking of the system of psychological help in the State Fire Service, we actually speak about the professionalization of the service," says Junior Brigadier Cezary Dobrodziej, a psychologist, senior lecturer in the Main School of Fire Service. By Elżbieta Przyłuska.
Exposed to Stress
While choosing a profession, most people take into account the level of stress involved. Some people try to avoid a stressful job, while other do the opposite and search for a profession involving challenges and risk, requiring commitment and, often, responsibility for the health and life of other people. By Luiza Słodownik.
Power of Talk
Readiness to help other people in the situation when one's life and health is at stake involves the ability to overcome one's fear and the emotional resistance. A person emotionally resistant, acts usually effectively and reasonably in a difficult situation, controls their emotions and own behaviour. Such a person does not show emotions and feelings (e.g. anger, rage, depression etc.). Firefighters are expected to be such persons, claims Anna Kacperczyk.
Psychologist Always Needed
Stress induced by the responsibility for human life, one's own fears, contact with arms or using it in an every-day work - these are just some problems of people working in Police, army or medical emergency service. Cooperation with a psychologist is a chance for them to reduce the negative influence of stress on their somatic and mental health. More in the article by Agnieszka Wójcik.
SFS Psychological Help System
Modern safety standards, commensurate with the contemporary threats, have to be based not only on advanced technological solutions, but also on detailed knowledge of social and psychological functioning of an individual and on the ability to deal with different situations.
The article is an excerpt from "Rules of organization of the psychological help in the State Fire Service" prepared by a panel of experts under the direction of Senior Brigadier Janusz Skulich.
Hardening in a Chamber
We are all afraid of anything new and unknown. To be able to perform professionally (without unnecessary emotions) all the rescue procedures, a firefighter should have the possibility to learn and get accustomed to the conditions of an action and to develop the habit of acting properly. Training in a well-equipped smoke-filled chamber allows firefighters to develop proper behaviour. By Radosław Jadwiszczak.
Professionals behind the Driving Wheel
The bad news is that the number of road accidents involving fire service vehicles is increasing. The good news is - firefighters undertake some actions to prevent them. By Lech Lewandowski.
Failure in Brewery
Specialist Group of Chemical Rescue from Bielsko-Biała, a fire and rescue team from Żywiec and the technical service of the Brewery in Żywiec participated in exercises, whose aim was to assess the ability of cooperation among rescue services, to learn the area of the brewery and the hazards present there. The rescue plan developed especially for the brewery was checked and the procedures of notifying SFS units were verified together with the time of arrival of the rescue services. By Agnieszka Rękas-Romaniuk.
In a Hospital Maze
Providing proper conditions for and organization of fire safety in a hospital reduces the risk of a fire breaking out and spreading there, as well as the risk of any other local danger, which can pose a threat to life and health of patients or hospital employees. By Jerzy Ranecki.
How to Notify
As there are many doubts concerning the terminology of medical rescue, Ignacy Baumberg presents some remarks and comments on the data from notifications and reports from different incidents.
Staff - Continuation
Jarosław Zarzycki presents his opinion on the article entitled "Staff" published in Fire Review 10/2009, which concerns a very important and urgent problem. It is necessary to rethink article 51, item 1 of the regulation of the Minister of Interior and Administration of 16 September 2008 concerning detailed conditions of safety and hygiene of the firefighters of the State Fire Service, which says "A fire vehicle dispatched for a rescue action as the first or the only vehicle shall be fully staffed." The author asks the following question: how many persons should constitute the "full staff" of a fire vehicle dispatched as the first or the only vehicle for a rescue action?
Kindergarten
In another article of the whole series Paweł Rochala describes the problem of buildings of the ZL II category covering a threat to humans in buildings designed, first of all, for people with limited ability to move. According to the provisions of law, this category includes: hospitals, day nurseries, kindergartens and nursing homes (article 209, item 2 of the regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure regarding technical conditions).
Specifying the Heat Flux at the Distance X from the Centre of Fireball
While assessing the threat caused by heat resulting from a fireball process, it is most important to specify its flux at a given distance from the centre of the phenomenon. This makes it possible to determine the area, where a specific cause and effect chain involving the emitted heat may take place. By Tomasz Węsierski.
Monitored Television
The ITI Group, the owner of the TVN channel, TVN 24 channel, n DTH platform, Multikino cinema chain or Onet.pl web portal, has its registered seat in the building of Media Buisiness Centre at Wiertnicza Street in Warsaw. Most of the building is occupied by offices; there is also the most important (and the largest) TV studio for a live broadcast of TVN 24 channel. How is the building protected to be safe? By Agnieszka Wójcik.
Mass Media: Friend or Enemy?
Mass media execute the right to information in a most efficient and broadest way. Therefore, it is not a coincidence that all the contemporary constitutions associate this right with the activity of mass media. By Joanna Cybulska.
Rescue Partnership
Stanisław Sulenta and Bogdan Romanowski present a report on the conference on The functioning and founding of the voluntary fire services", which was organized in the Senate of the Republic of Poland by the Senate Firefighters' Team. It was the goal of the conference participants to specify the directions for the development of the voluntary fire service units and to prepare the units in the cooperation with the SFS to conduct rescue actions and administer humanitarian aid.
Donate Blood, Give Back Life
The fourth edition of Fiery Rescuer - Hot Blood" programme was concluded. Voluntary fire services and units of the State Fire Service participated in the action. Firefighters and other people encouraged to take part in the project donated 5,786 litres of blood in 2009. By Agnieszka Wójcik.
Learning in Poznań
In October 2009, the Fire Service College of the State Fire Service in Poznań was visited by a group of twenty officers from regional headquarters and the national headquarters of the fire service from the Czech Republic. They came to Poznań on a 5-day specialist training on initial fire cause investigation. The training was another stage of the process of preparing Czech senior staff to perform tasks concerning the supervision of fire investigations conducted by Czech fire service. More in the article by Piotr Guzewski.
History of Baroque Horse-Drawn Fire Engine
In 2010 the Central Museum of Firefighting in Mysłowice celebrates its 35th anniversary. Therefore, Fire Service publishes a series of articles presenting the history of the most valuable museum pieces. In the January issue Dariusz Falecki describes the history of the horse-drawn fire engine of 1717, which is one of the most valuable exhibits of the firefighting museums in the world, because of its age, decoration and technological solutions used to construct it.
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