"All the firefighters should be trained to be able to cooperate with a chemical and ecological rescue group and support it during actions. This concerns, among other cases, evacuation of large groups of people from danger zone, providing professional first aid, mass decontamination, water supply, danger zone isolation whose aim is to block the spreading of a dangerous substance with water curtains and water streams, as well as the organization of oil barriers on water areas," says Brigadier Jerzy Ranecki, Ph. D. Eng. in a talk with Elżbieta Przyłuska.
Improving Chemical Safety
On the area of the Poznań agglomeration (the city of Poznań and the Poznań district) there are 11 upper and lower tier establishments, 27 establishments and enterprises using dangerous substances. Dangerous goods are transported on roads and railways. By Jerzy Ranecki.
"Euro 2012" Operation
Rescue groups of the Polish Red Cross, Fire Service, Police and Boarder Guards participated in exercises organized in Kalwaria Pacławska, the Przemyśl district. The exercises concerned liquidating consequences of a mass road disaster in a hardly accessible mountainous area and night search of air crash victims. More in the article by Zdzisław Wójcik.
Tank on Fire
Freezing winter morning, 5 February, 4.51 am. A duty officer of the District Alarm and Dispatch Centre of the City HQ of the SFS in Wrocław receives notification on a fire of an underground gas tank on a petrol station in Kąty Wrocławskie. By Dariusz Kopa.
Explosive Mix - Gas and Alcohol
This year's winter in the city and district of Kielce witnessed numerous interventions concerning the explosions of gas and air mixtures. Just three explosions in Kielce deprived over 50 people of their houses. In the case of those incidents, it is usually possible to put the blame on human recklessness, lack of knowledge and imagination, poverty and alcohol. By Wojciech Wąsik.
Chemical Rescue Specialists
Some selected establishments in Poland have had emergency chemical rescue services since 1970. Currently there are fourteen specialist chemical and ecological rescue groups in the SFS, included in the operational resources support of the Chief Commandant of the SFS. On the area of almost every province, there are groups included in the regional operational resources support. Two of them - from Warsaw and Katowice Piotrowice are entitled to act abroad. By Agnieszka Wójcik.
Dogs in Action
Thursday, 11 February, snowy winter afternoon. Weather forecasts had warned against snowstorms and snow clouds, especially in the region of Kujawy and Pomerania. It did not take long to see the consequences of such weather A building of already closed Celuloza paper mill in Włocławek collapsed. Within seconds, the frame of the huge building started to tumble like a house of cards. By Małgorzata Jarocka-Krzemkowska.
Drowning Horses
In February this year Senior Captain Daniel Dryniak rescued an angler drifting on broken ice on the San River in Przemyśl. The angler escaped unharmed the incident, the firefighter sustained serious internal injuries - he had damaged liver and has undergone two surgeries. The firefighter was awarded for this action by the president of the Republic of Poland with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta - one of the highest civilian awards, and the Cross of Merit for Bravery, awarded on the request of the minister of interior and administration. The firefighter was also promoted to the higher rank. More in the article by Agnieszka Wójcik.
I Did What I Had to Do
In February this year Senior Captain Daniel Dryniak rescued an angler drifting on broken ice on the San River in Przemyśl. The angler escaped unharmed the incident, the firefighter sustained serious internal injuries - he had damaged liver and has undergone two surgeries. The firefighter was awarded for this action by the president of the Republic of Poland with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta - one of the highest civilian awards, and the Cross of Merit for Bravery, awarded on the request of the minister of interior and administration. The firefighter was also promoted to the higher rank. More in the article by Agnieszka Wójcik.
Contamination Detection Systems
Carrying a definitely negative connotation, the term "contamination" evokes, first of all, fear for the life and health of our loved ones. The average social awareness is influenced by both historical data on the victims of the greatest disasters in different industry branches and relatively frequent media releases on the incidents involving dangerous substances being released to the environment. By Włodzimierz Wątor.
Rodents Causing Fires
Not only do the rodents, especially rats, carry many diseases dangerous to humans, such as: rat-bite fever (sodoku), leptospirosis (Weil's disease), salmonellosis (endemic typhus, relapsing fever), parasitosis (trichinosis, common liver fluke and other of this type), rabies, plague, tularemia, not only do they eat and dirty the stored products with bacteria and viruses, but they can also cause dangerous fires. By Tomasz Sawicki.
Institute Unlike Any Other
Created almost 10 years ago, the Institute of National Remembrance - Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation (IPN-KŚZpNP) aims at, among other things, collecting and managing the documentation created by Polish security agencies between 1944 and 1990. Until now 88,806 linear metres of archives have been gathered. To serve historians and the society in the future, the gathered documents have to be professionally protected. By Agnieszka Wójcik.
Hotel
The article aims at specifying the initial design basis for a hotel equipped, according to law, in a basic set of fire protections, which probably will limit its size. This will help us find out, which requirements concerning fire protection have to be fulfilled in buildings of this type. More in the article by Paweł Rochala.
Number of Life
On 11 February the European Union Member States celebrated the 2nd European 112 Day concerning the European emergency number 112. It is worth to underline that Poland is among the three countries, just behind the Czech Republic and Luxembourg, with the highest level of awareness concerning what and who is behind these three mysterious digits. More in the article by Bogdan Romanowski.
Promoting 112
Everyone should know emergency number 112. Therefore, it is so important to promote it. Recently, the District HQ of the SFS in Włoszczowa has taken care of the 112 number promotion and, together with Educational Facilities Complex no.1, it celebrated the European 112 Day on 11 February. By Dariusz Gieroń.
Finding One's Place in Structures
In the recent years the SFS in the Lower Silesia province has employed several dozens of firefighters who are licensed paramedics. They are perceived as persons guaranteeing a professional level of emergency relief to the victims. By Lech Lewandowski.
Safe Fixed Extinguishing Device
The basic role of fixed extinguishing devices is to suppress fires. The devices are used with two goals: to protect life and/or to protect property. Safety of people should always be the highest priority when using those devices. By Paweł Zbrożek and Jerzy Prasuła.
Safe Rescuer
Back to the series of articles devoted to the equipment used by firefighters-rescuers, we would like to present special clothing protecting from chemical factors, which are adjusted to wearing a breathing apparatus and a helmet underneath. The products mentioned here have been granted permission by the Scientific and Research Centre for Fire Protection.
Woman in Fire Service and Her Passion
I met Section Leader Magdalena Nowicka from the Fire and Rescue Unit no.4 in Poznań in a forest. It was during exams for search dog handlers from the SFS and VFS, and she was a member of the examining board. "First dogs, than the interview," she warned me. She knew what she was saying, as this enabled me to take a closer look on the common work of people and dogs. By Elżbieta Przyłuska.
A Short History of OTP
Officer's Secondary Schools of Fire Service (Oficerskie technikum pożarnicze - OTP) constituted a glorious card in the history of Polish fire service schools. Although the schools of this type operated only for seven years (1952-1959), they educated many outstanding fire service officers, holding high ranks in the fire service hierarchy. By Krzysztof Krężel.
Wm. Knaust Fire Engines
Wm. Knaust factory is one of the oldest producers of fire equipment in Europe. Wilhelm Knaust, its long-serving director, made history of the fire service industry as a visionary and inventor. More in the article by Dariusz Falecki.
In the Footsteps of Justyna Kowalczyk
This year's really harsh winter probably did not please the warmth-loving firefighters. Those of them who have to come on duty from remote places were not delighted as well. However, there were also others - those, who came from all over Poland to participate in this year's Bieg Piastów Ski Race. By Witold Łabajczyk.
Paris Race
During trainings, the runners often ask themselves such questions as: will I beat the track records, am I well prepared? Those questions were also asked by our representatives participating in the 30th International Cross-Country Race for Firefighters in Créteil near Paris. This year's edition of the race took place on 24 January. By Piotr Kalinowski.
Volleyball Fete
Organized in Legnica, the 27th Polish Volleyball Championships of the Firefighters confirmed the opinion that volleyball invariably enjoys great popularity among firefighters. At the same time the level of successive tournaments is rising. Both young contestants, playing unprofessionally, and current or former representatives of league clubs came to Legnica. By Lech Lewandowski.
Step into the Abyss
When I ask firefighters about training subjects which would be interesting for them, I often hear the following questions: How to treat someone showing a wish to commit suicide? How to react, what to say? As it usually happens, there is no easy answer on these questions, as human mind and the processes governing it are extremely complex. By Marta Różycka.
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