The life and health of many people often depends on how quickly and quickly a fire reconnaissance is carried out. Behind this term is a huge amount of work to collect information about the fire, analyze the situation, take decisive actions to localize it and eliminate it, and help the victims. Behind this term is a huge number of people who every day risk their lives to save others.
Reconnaissance of a fire begins immediately after an alarm is received at the post of the dispatcher of the central control center and is conducted in a constant mode until the moment of its elimination. It includes many aspects:
- Additional information received in real time from the dispatcher.
- Outlined Firefighting Plan.
- Information of eyewitnesses.
Fire reconnaissance target
The main purpose of intelligence is to immediately obtain information on the following points:
- about the place of deployment of the tragedy;
- the presence of a threat to life and health;
- the nature of the hazard;
- burning area;
- on the availability and possibility of using fire extinguishing means;
- ways and means of eliminating this threat;
- about remedies and, of course, salvation;
- about the object that has been burned;
- ways of the spread of fire;
- the ability to evacuate not only people, but also their property;
- the location of available sources of water that can be used to extinguish;
- the presence of electrical equipment under voltage, and the possibility of its quick disconnection from the network;
- the number of forces involved (not only people, but also equipment);
- about the state of building structures and the threat of their collapse.
Important! In some situations, it is not out of place to study the documentation and information received from the owners or tenants of facilities that have more detailed information about the layout or features of the technological process at a particular production site.
What should be available
For reconnaissance of a fire place , firefighters must have:
- Personal respiratory protection (PPE). This is a common name for a variety of gas masks and respirators.
- Means and devices for liquidation of a fire, rescue of people and communication.
- Flashlights or other lighting devices.
- Insurance means (for example, cables).
- A necessary tool for quick opening and dismantling of building structures.
- The minimum set of medicines for first aid to victims.
A set of activities conducted by firefighters
First, a fire reconnaissance is carried out (if possible very quickly). At the same time, services are involved in the work that can most accurately determine the level of concentration of radioactive and chemical substances, the pollution zone and the necessary specific precautions.
Important! The organization of checkpoints and security posts for the entire period of the operation to eliminate the fire is required.
Further, firefighters carry out the following activities:
- Actions to save people in the event of an immediate threat to their life and health, as well as their property.
- They provide first (pre-medical) medical care to victims (if possible).
- Operational measures to extinguish and eliminate fires.
- Real-time fire extinguishing operation management reports on the results of the measures taken.
Occupational safety during fire reconnaissance
All employees of fire departments must adhere to the requirements of labor protection rules when fulfilling their job descriptions. The main points to which it is necessary to pay attention precisely from this point of view:
- Advancing and following to the place of ignition.
- Direct fire reconnaissance activities.
- Salvation of people and their property.
- The order of combat deployment.
- Fire extinguishing.
Advancing and following to the place of ignition
The collection of the guard personnel and departure to the place takes place strictly in the prescribed manner:
- At the signal "Alarm" the entire personnel of the fire guard takes places in the cabs of cars. Important! At the time of firefighters getting into cars, all kinds of movements of people in front of cars are prohibited.
- Leaving the garage and following to the place of ignition, the driver of the fire engine is obliged to turn on not only a special sound alarm, but also a light one. Important! When the fire brigade returns to the garage, it is forbidden to use the sound signal.
- A fire truck has priority on the road, but you can only use it if other road users give way to it.
Fire Intelligence Activities
Upon arrival at the place of ignition, firefighters begin to carry out intelligence activities:
- Fire reconnaissance is carried out by two groups: one, consisting of 3 people (no less) and equipped with an RPD; the second, consisting of 2 people (at least) without a RPM.
- The commander must make sure that the personnel are ready to carry out the tasks, control the alternation of work at the facility with a rest period, correctly dosing loads. He must also indicate to his subordinates the location of the checkpoint and security post.
- When conducting reconnaissance of a fire, while in a smoke zone, it is necessary to strictly follow the following requirements: to carry out movement exclusively along capital walls or walls with window openings; Report to security personnel about all adverse circumstances. In addition, enter the premises in which there are radioactive, bacteriological, explosive substances, as well as installations under high voltage, only after coordinating their actions with the facility management. In this case, it is necessary to follow their recommendations in terms of safety rules.
Measures to save people and their property
After reconnaissance of the fire before the start of rescue operations, the unit commander determines the order and methods of rescuing people from the fire. And this directly depends on the situation, which in each case is different, and on the state in which people are. Firefighters should work quickly, as harmoniously as possible, observing all safety precautions so as not to harm people or injure them.
For rescue use the following certified and tested devices:
- fire escape that can be carried manually;
- car ladders and car lifts specially designed for such cases;
- rescue hoses and ropes (they should in no case be wet);
- jump-rescue devices of a pneumatic nature and others.
In order for firefighters to get to places where people escape from fire, their arsenal includes tools such as assault axes, jack hammers, saws (chain and circular), hydraulic and manual electric scissors, plunger spacers, etc.
Important! The officials responsible for the fire extinguishing process, in parallel with the deployment of forces and means aimed at the facility, call an ambulance, the presence of which is necessary in all such situations, regardless of whether there is a need for it at the moment. Before the arrival of medical personnel, first-aid personnel are provided by firefighters themselves.
Liquidation of combustion
This is the most dangerous stage. After the combat deployment, intensive elimination of combustion begins.
If the source of ignition is on the upper floors, that is, large areas covered by fire are at the top, firefighters are strictly forbidden to use traditional elevator equipment. Important! You can only use elevators that operate in the mode of transportation of fire crews.
It is strictly forbidden for the personnel of the fire department to leave the fire barrel without any supervision (even if the water supply has already been stopped).
Before starting the elimination of combustion in a residential building, it is necessary to ensure that all valves on the gas pipeline are shut off, the power supply to the object is cut off, the gas cylinders detected are evacuated (they must be constantly sprayed with water jets), the air temperature in the rooms and smoke removal are reduced.
It is not always possible to use foam fire extinguishers. Sometimes it is simply contraindicated. For example, when it is necessary to extinguish materials or substances whose interaction with foam can cause a strong emission or even significantly increase combustion, as well as energized equipment. Such devices are extinguished with carbon dioxide fire extinguishers.
Firefighters should work in suits with high heat-shielding and heat-reflecting properties.
The elimination of the burning of oil and oil products is an extremely complex process. Firefighters, equipment and vehicles should be located at an absolutely safe distance from the tanks on fire (so as not to be in the area of liquid spills, discharge or boiling). Just in case, emergency escape routes to less dangerous places should be identified.
Regarding the evacuation signal for the personnel of the fire brigade: it should not be like the others.
When extinguishing fires at facilities with pesticides after the elimination of fire, all personnel must be subjected to medical examination and sanitation, and equipment and equipment must be degassed.
In the event of a fire being eliminated at radiation hazardous facilities, it must be ensured that each fire extinguishing participant does not receive an excess of the maximum permissible radiation dose (despite the fact that he works in a special protective suit). For this, a special journal is kept in which the date, time and individual dose of each are recorded. The technique can only be used with radiation protection.
Firefighting drivers are strictly forbidden to rearrange vehicles and motor pumps to another location without instructions from officials or the fire brigade commander.
Conclusion
When all of the above activities have been completed, it can be relieved to say that all fire reconnaissance tasks have been completed. Fire brigade may return to the garage. And your favorite city can sleep peacefully.