The Main School of Fire Service - Tradition Obliges
"The world does not stand still; hence, the school has had to keep up with modernity. Owing to my predecessors and the current involvement of the school staff, we can boast modern learning facilities, including high-tech scientific and research equipment, computers and audio-visual equipment, often unique in Poland," says Chief Brigadier Ryszard D±browa, provost-chief commander of the Main School of Fire Service in Warsaw. An interview by Bogdan Romanowski.
Operation "Farewell"
On 18 April 2010 Poland bid farewell to President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria Kaczyńska, who were killed in the tragic plane crash near Smoleńsk. The funeral mass was held at St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków and the presidential couple was buried in Wawel Cathedral. The State Fire Service and other rescue and emergency services had to organize widely understood rescue background for the event. By Paweł Knapik.
Prevention - True or False? Part 1
How Many People Does a Prevention Officer Rescue?
There is a professional group in the State Fire Service which occasionally sparks more or less intense emotions. It is associated with total bureaucracy, therefore, with something that every person making a living by the toil of one's hands objects. There is nothing to hide - it is bureaucratic indeed; moreover, it is probably the most disliked profile of bureaucracy - the Police one. Additionally, the conditions which have to be met by the applicants make the impression that it is an exclusive unit, which naturally becomes a reason to dislike its members. The unit is the prevention unit. By Paweł Rochala.
Role of Discipline-Specific Designs
Persons professionally dealing with fire protection, including design engineers, are familiar with the provision of article 3, item 1 of the resolution of the minister of interior and administration of 21 April 2006 on fire protection of buildings, other facilities and areas (DzU no. 80, item 563) saying that the fire control devices in a building should be consistent with the project whose fire safety aspects had been approved by a fire safety expert. However, in reality different solutions are used during commissioning of the building. More in the article by Arkadiusz Mock.
Interactive Chopin
Modernized and extended, the museum devoted to the life and work of Fryderyk Chopin was re-opened for the enthusiasts of the composer in April 2010. The museum, one of Europe's most high-tech biographical museums, is located in a high-Baroque castle, which was rebuilt according to original architectural plans. To adapt the building to the currently binding fire safety regulations it was necessary to equip it in completely new installations and protections. By Agnieszka Wójcik.
Duty Hours vs. Overtime
It comes back like a boomerang in talks, debates, in the press or fire service forums - the problem of overtime in fire service and the ideas how to compensate for it. More in the article by Tomasz Kubiak.
Fire Professions and Professional Titles
The article "Rights" by Paweł Rochala, published in Fire Review no.12/2009, apart from explaining well the questions concerning personnel policy of the SFS now and in the past, mentions also the problem of professional training in fire protection. To elaborate on this subject, I would like to refer to several other problems, equally important, but often forgotten or misunderstood. By Jarosław Zarzycki.
Everyday Fire and Rescue Unit
In the latest (April 2010) poll conducted by CBOS public opinion research centre, most respondents had positive views about the fire service. Moreover, it turned out that out of all the uniformed services it is the fire service that enjoys the highest social confidence. By Elżbieta Przyłuska.
Firefighters from the ¦więtokrzyskie Province
Over one thousand firefighters work in the SFS units in the ¦więtokrzyskie province. Supported by firefighters from the VFS, they rescue people, extinguish fires and secure dangerous substances which were released to the environment. In Kielce there are three units specializing in chemical rescue, water and underwater rescue and high-altitude rescue. By Agnieszka Wójcik.
Firefighters from Starachowice
The district of Starachowice consists of: the town of Starachowice, the town and commune of W±chock and three other communes: Brody, Pawłów and Mirzec. There is a fire and rescue unit in the Starachowice district with over sixty firefighters. Twenty-three firefighters serve in the water and diving group acting within the unit. They are supported by 26 units of the VFS, 15 out of them belong to the National Rescue and Firefighting System. More in the article by Agnieszka Wójcik.
VFS Chotomów
Founded 92 years ago, the Voluntary Fire Service in Chotomów (the Mazovia province) has been a member of the National Rescue and Firefighting System since 1995. Tadeusz D±browski is the chairman of the VFS, and Tadeusz Bieńkowski is its marshal. Currently there are 60 members of the fire service in Chotomów. By Małgorzata Januszczyk.
Kielce Welcomed St. Florian's Knights
This year's national celebration of the Firefighter's Day took place in Kielce - the capital city of the ¦więtokrzyskie province on 8 May. There had been many reasons why the city was chosen to host the celebration. The most important reasons included the 60th anniversary of the national fire protection bodies in the region, handing over a banner to the Regional HQ of the SFS in Kielce funded by the local community and opening of a new watchtower of the Fire and Rescue Unit of the SFS no. 3. By Arkadiusz Wesołowski and Bogdan Romanowski.
Under the Żnin Tower
This year's regional celebration of the Firefighter's Day in the Kujawy-Pomerania province took place in Żnin. The list of guests included such persons as Zbigniew Sosnowski, the undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Dariusz Kurzawa, the deputy governor of the Kujawy-Pomerania province, Teresa Piotrowska, the MP from the region, Chief Brigadier Janusz Skulich, the Deputy Commandant-in-Chief of the SFS. Details in the May issue of Fire Review.
Time for Another Exam
Formal officer promotion of the graduates of the Main School of Fire Service took place at Piłsudski Square in Warsaw on 4 May, the Firefighter's Day. The promotion was the crowning of a four-year first degree engineer studies and five-year second degree Master studies. By Bogdan Romanowski.
Firefighters - Pilgrims on Jasna Góra
During this year's 6th National Pilgrimage of Firefighters to the Jasna Góra Monastery dozens of thousands of professional firefighters and volunteers gathered in Częstochowa. The pilgrimage was of special importance. The solemn moments during the holy mass for the intention of fire service were accompanied by the prayer for the victims of the plane crash near Smoleńsk. Details in the May issue of Fire Review.
Meaningful Fire
The firefighter's day celebrated on 4th May, the day of St. Florian, prompted me to write this short article. It is worth to bear in mind the Latin etymology of the name Florian. Jan Grzenia writes that "… it was coined basing on the name Florus with the -ianus suffix, used to create possessive nicknames. Florianus originally meant "belonging to Florus". The name Florus was coined on the basis of adjective florus, meaning „flourishing, shiny …" [1]. Therefore, shining, one of the signs of fire can be found in the name of the firefighters' saint patron. On one hand this element sparks joy, on the other hand - deadly fear. By Ewa Zielińska.
Firefighter's Day in Romania
Celebrated on 13 September, Firefighter's Day in Romania refers to a very important historical event. It commemorates heroism of the firefighters during the European Revolutions of 1848 paving the way for the unification of Moldova and Wallachia. More in the article by Ewa Marcinkowska.
Rescue in Germany
The training organized in Germany by the Fire-Max company was to show Polish rescuers the techniques of road rescue used by German firefighters. Participating in the training, I noticed many similarities, but also several important differences in the way the rescue equipment is used by the services in both countries. By Michał Gizowski.
Institution Man
Over 10,000 representatives of the uniformed services competed in team and individual disciplines during last year's World Police and Fire Games organized in Canada. In the 20-man team of Polish firefighters there was Staff Aspirant Jerzy Kulczyk from the District HQ of the SFS in Białogard, the only representative of the West Pomerania province. By Jacek Twardoń.
Show Interrupted
Fifty-five years ago, on 11 May 1955, on the market square of Wielopole Skrzyńskie (the Podkarpacie province) a mobile cinema was screening a movie in a wooden shed serving as a local library. A fire broke out during the picture show. Since the only exit in the building was blocked and there were some other irregularities, as many as 66 people died in the fire, including 44 children, there were also 20 persons injured. By Tomasz Sawicki.
From the Collection of the Central Museum of Firefighting in Mysłowice
Magirus's Gems
Konrad Dietrich Magirus was one of the pioneers of modern fire service. He was an inventor, designer and owner of one of the largest factories producing fire equipment. The Central Museum of Firefighting has several unique items produced by the company in it collection. Details in the article by Dariusz Falecki.
Fire Service History in Medallic Art. Part 3
Fire Service Secondary Schools
Secondary fire service schools have had its ups and downs since 1950, adapting to the social, political and economic realities in Poland. Created in 1950, the National HQ of the Fire Services centralized the issues of fire schools. Technical and training departments of the regional and district headquarters were responsible for the organization and implementation of fire service education. By Krzysztof Krężel.
Plane Crash near Smoleńsk
Psychological Work Outline
The situation after 10 April has been an unprecedented experience not only in the history of Poland, but, first of all, in the personal history of the crash victims' families - mothers, daughters, sons, fathers, husbands …, who suddenly lost their beloved ones. By Elżbieta Przyłuska.
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