During fires, a rather unfavorable situation often develops, in which it is difficult to work without respiratory protection. Unsuitable for breathing environment is formed in connection with the smoke of the territory. And if urgent evacuation of people from a burning building is needed, or if firefighters need to overcome a large area with smoke, a gas and smoke protection service begins to work. It is for working in such conditions that gas fumes protectors work.
Gas smoke protection service
The main task of the gas fume protector is to fulfill the assigned task of the gas and dust protection system in an environment not suitable for breathing. He submits to the service commander. Certification of gas fumes is taking into account their mental and physical health, as well as many other factors.
He must comply with all the rules of activity in the RPD and unquestioningly obey the orders of his commander. And also his duties include the denunciation of information about the number of people in distress, and about all the circumstances associated with their condition and their location.
Gas smoke protector
A gas fume protector can be a person who has access to the use of RPD. These are ordinary subordinates of the fire service, and their superiors, and cadets of the Ministry of Emergencies. Respiratory devices issued to employees must provide a protective effect for at least 240 minutes.
General Responsibilities of a Gas Defender
During the work, each representative of this profession must fulfill certain duties. There are general rules for all service employees. Among them are the following:
- A person should be constantly ready to start work related to extinguishing fires in an environment that is completely unsuitable for breathing. At the same time, he should be engaged in improving his physical form, and special medical and psychological training for gas smoke defenders should also be carried out.
- He is obliged to monitor the technical health of the RPD, as well as any other equipment or fire tool that is attached to it. In addition, he is obliged to bring all equipment for maintenance on time.
- His responsibilities include calculating the oxygen supply and the period for which the service link and its equipment may be in an area not suitable for breathing.
- The duties of a gas defender include the ability to provide first aid to people who have suffered from fire.
- He is obliged to constantly improve his skills as an integral part of the service during the period of work in an environment not suitable for breathing.
Employee Responsibilities
When it is necessary to extinguish a fire, there are also special duties of a gas defender, among which it is worth highlighting:
- Knowledge of one's own tasks as a link in the service, as well as unquestioning obedience to the commander.
- Knowing where the security post is and the nearest security checkpoint.
- He is obliged to strictly observe the previously agreed route as a part of the service, and also to take into account the rules for working with equipment that protects the airways from smoke.
- He does not have the right to leave the place of work without the permission of the commander of the GDZ service. That is, the duties and implementation of an order for a gas smoke protector come first.
- His responsibilities include tracking the change in the situation along the route of the link, while taking into account the state of the building structure both along the route and in the place where the work itself is carried out.
- In the course of passing the danger zone, he must clearly remember the route along which the service link moves.
- Closely monitor the pressure data and oxygen supply in the equipment that he has.
- He cannot use the emergency valve without special need.
- The beginning and termination of the use of RPD should be carried out exclusively by order of the flight commander.
- Report to the commander the situation and its changes, taking into account malfunctions in the protection equipment and his condition at the time of completing the tasks, including taste sensations, headaches and difficulty breathing, after which he unconditionally follow orders.
Responsibilities of a gas defender when using DASK
In some cases, when the environment is completely unsuitable for breathing, a gas defender can use DASK and perform the following duties:
- Exclusively in the fresh air, replace regenerative cartridges or oxygen cylinders in equipment.
- About once an hour, it should remove moisture that accumulates in the box joints.
- If necessary, he must use a bypass, i.e. blow out equipment using an emergency valve.
- If the breathing valves are defective, the employee should pinch the inhalation and exhalation hoses with appropriate action.
- If the work takes place in the air, the temperature of which is below zero, it must carry out the switching on of the equipment only in a heated environment (for example, a car cabin or a house entrance), in addition, sets equipped with thermal protection must be used.
- If an employee noticed equipment malfunctions, he should immediately report it to the commander, and then act exclusively on his orders.