| Who is a firefighter?
He is a worker, whose primary goal is to act in emergency situations in various places with an aim to rescue human life and putting out fires. The preparation towards the response and prevention too are important aspects of the given work. He is a worker, whose main task is to respond to an emergency situation in different places for rescuing lives. Preparation for putting out a fire is also an important aspect of the given profession.
Hazards linked with profession:
* Firefighters work in constantly changing and often unstable conditions. In burning buildings with people required to be rescued, the usual structural integrity may not suffice and means of access, such as ladders and lifts, can pose a danger due to fire. The work often causes additional stress; many situations demand the use of specialized personal protective gear. Firefighters can be pressed into service in various extraneous situations such as road accidents, industrial casualties, flooding, earthquakes, civil disorders, the leakage of hazardous chemicals and materials, aviation and sea disasters. Firefighters can be called for rescue operations in various situations, for example, rescue operations from transport means, from a height or from under the ground.
* Since the conditions can vary with each call, a firefighter seldom realizes all the types of risks in his surroundings where the operations are carried out;
* The transport means for extraneous calls can include fire trucks, rescue cars, boats, helicopters and all other surface transport means. The risk of road accidents increases while on the way to attend a call.
* Firefighters face a high risk of cardiovascular diseases, post-emergency stress and traumas due to overloads during the incorrect way of lifting of weights.
In the absence of extraneous situations, usually the work place is the fire brigade or specialized fire training platform. During emergency situations, working conditions can be different, depending upon the circumstances of the incident.
Fire fighting is a very dangerous operation. Professional traumas and occupational diseases can lead to disability and death. The fact that the working conditions during emergency calls are dangerous and unpredictable and that firefighter cannot be prepared for any incident, demand an increased level of complexity in instructions, training and the modernization of personal protective means for protecting the firefighter against the risks during work.
The National Fire Protection Association publishes guidelines NFPA 1500, which include the labor safety program for fire departments with an aim to reduce the accidents and traumas, including deaths during production. These guidelines envisage clauses such as the responsibility for safety precautions, labor safety commission, data collecting systems, requirements of basic training, inspection of fire equipment, use of personal protective gear including independent respiratory devices, guidelines for on-site use and the physical qualifications of the firefighters.
In the USA, Americans consider the firefighter profession as the most prestigious profession, say news respondents who said it was considered that the firefighter profession is prestigious.
Certainly, the profession of firefighter is one of the most dangerous professions. After all, they are working in extraneous situations, with a life risk and huge responsibility for other people. Certainly, the prestige of the firefighter profession is very low at present and they are not paid duly for their work. But the thing is – it is not simple routine work. The occupation of the firefighter is difficult, responsible and noble. Firefighters receive state awards for special distinctions in work (e.g. the award “For rescuing during fire”, the “Courageous” award). And firefighters receive much gratitude from people for heroism and for saving the lives of people.
As is known, it is simpler to prevent an accident than to fight it. Therefore, the work of the inspectors in the fire brigade is no less important and responsible than the firefighters.
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