"We will not lower our standards," claims Senior Brigadier Jan Jagnyziak, commandant of the Airport Fire Service of the Warsaw Okęcie Airport. He announces building a new watchtower and a training centre for Polish and foreign firefighters, who protect airports. This is necessary in times of increasing demand for flying and increasingly strict international safety requirements. (own info)
Merchants from Słubice Lost Everything
On the evening of 10 January 2007 a fire broke out on a market place in a border town of Słubice. The fire raged almost all the night and deprived some 6,000 people of source of income. In the town with a population of 18,000 the market was the biggest workplace. The fire caused damage estimated at some 24 million zlotys. Rescue action described by Waldemar Murawka.
Town Centre Bomb
Although the Second World War ended almost 62 years ago, its dangerous relics still lie in the Polish ground. One of such relics was discovered under one of the main streets in the town of Tuchola by workers repairing the sewerage system. By Krzysztof Łangowski.
Kyrill: Standard or Anomaly?
In the next hundred years the average temperature on the Earth should rise by between 1.8 and 4 degrees Celsius, claim the scientists, who six years ago still did not so unanimously blame us, people, for the global warming. Was the hurricane, which hit Europe in January, one of the consequences of the global warming? (own info)
Command School Desperately Needed
Statistics show that over a thousand officers of the State Fire Service command the firefighting and rescue actions every day. Commander is the person who combines the experience of rescuers, specialist knowledge, and safety rules and requirements into an effective system of risk reaction. At the same time this important professional group is totally ignored in the discussion on trainings, functioning of the State Fire Service, increasing command requirements, and creation of the positive image of the SFS. Dariusz Radłowski tries to define the problems bothering commanders on different levels, and the essence of the art of command from the perspective of efficient human resources management.
What is Next With Medical Rescue in the National Firefighting and Rescue System?
Changing Emergency Response
The Act on State Medical Rescue Service imposed upon the firefighters an obligation to defibrillate. This is another task announcing increasing requirements towards the firefighters, set not only by authorities, but also by health service units, media, and, first of all, by people. The firefighters are going to be called more frequently to response to health risks. By Dariusz Marczyński.
Spurs for Rescuer
The success of the medical rescue workshop in the Lower Silesia province was determined by its increasing standard, being "bottom-up" and free of charge. The third edition took place in Borowice, small town in the Karkonosze. This year the events typical of winter were the main subject, preceded by different aspects of shock and mass events. Report by Lech Lewandowski.
Rabbits, Elephants and Other Rescuers
Widespread ignorance about the basic first aid is a sad fact in Poland, but this does not have to last forever. Great kids from the kindergarten "Promyczek" in Słupsk, their teachers and trainers - volunteers of the Order of St. John are the best example of the ongoing changes. (own info)
Purchases for the Fire Service in 2006
The bill on the adoption of the "Programme of Modernization of the Police, Border Guard, State Fire Service and the Government Protection Office in the years 2007-2009" has just entered the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, the lower house of the Polish parliament. The programme expects a technical modernization of the SFS structures worth in total 520 million zlotys, including the purchase of 350 fire engines and containers for 264 million zlotys. This strategy includes also building and extension of a number of watchtowers and modernization of ICT systems. Regardless of the plans connected with the bill mentioned, as every year the State Fire Service bought many vehicles also in 2006. The most interesting of them are presented by Paweł Frątczak.
Strong Arm - Hydraulic Mastodon
Every year firefighters from different parts of the world are exposed to serious injuries or even death while saving the lives and property of other people during fires. To minimize the risk, at least to some extent, the American company Ferrara Fire Apparatus together with Gradall, a leading producer of the telescoping hydraulic devices, have developed a new firefighting vehicle equipped in a hydraulic "strong arm". To say this is a revolutionary solution is not an overstatement. By Marek Pisarek.
On Thin Ice
Although this year the winter played a trick, came very late and is not frosty, we decided to present the equipment used in the ice rescue. Sometimes a scarf, a sledge with a line, a scow or a ladder is enough to help a person trapped in the water after the ice cracked, but for the sake of better safety of the rescuers and the victim it is worth to use specialist equipment. The choice is not wide, as the market offers: ice sleds, platforms, rescue walkways and hovercrafts. Several products of this type are presented here. (own info)
Lifts and Evacuation from the Highest Buildings
On 4 October in Brussels the European Lift Association (ELA) organized an international conference "Fire and Risk Management" devoted mainly to the fire safety issues involving the lift running and design. In seven reports the experts from Great Britain, the USA, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands presented the new trends in fire safety concerning the highest buildings, especially with regard to the lifts. They discussed the possibility of using lifts by rescue teams and to evacuate people as well as the procedures applying in such cases and the methods and outcome of the fire endurance test of the hoistway doors. Report by Jacek Piechocki.
In Defence of Preventers and Prevention
The prevention unit is the most dishonest unit of the fire service, and the experts are the most dishonest persons in this unit - such opinion about the profession of a preventer is quite common. Next to the article you can read some excerpts from the forum on the www.strazak.pl website including the views from the thread with a clearly expressed subject: "Fire Safety Experts and Honesty and Service!" These excerpts are not the most bitter ones, but they are very representative for such opinions. By Paweł Rochala.
How Do the Others Do That?
Expensive Quite on the Trunk Lines
The basic commandment of a telecommunications company is to ensure the continuity of services and protect the data. This goal is of the greatest importance when it comes to the extensive security system, including the fire safety. How do the NETIA company do that? (own info)
Citizen Emergency Response Team - American Way of Fighting the Dangers
Citizen Rescuer
In the United States ordinary citizens have been trained to face the consequences of natural disasters and catastrophes since the mid-80s. Moreover, people trained by CERT can help the professional rescuers or, at least, give assistance until the professional team arrives. By Emilia Skoczylas.
Service in the City of Canals
The Venice fire service originally was subordinate to the city authorities, but since 1941 it has been an organizational unit of the National Fire Service of Italy. Nowadays it consists of 13 firefighting and rescue units, including 10 ground ones, a water unit securing the harbour terminal, a water unit protecting the Old Town, and a unit securing the Marco Polo Airport. Report by Paweł Frątczak.
Extinguishing With Passion
The volunteer fire service unit in Stoczek Łukowski (the Lublin province) is over 90 years old. Henryk Nowosielski, doyen of the local fire service, is even older. Their stories, inseparably entwined, are worth attention. By Agnieszka Deberna.
History of the Fire Service Union on the Polish Lands (part 6)
History of the Union of the Volunteer Fire Service (1956-1992) and Union of the Volunteer Fire Service of the Republic of Poland (since 1992) - by Krzysztof Krężel.
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