Firefighter

The fire department is an organization with the mission to provide assistance in fires, accidents, floods, and similar events, ie to save people, animals and property to protect, and recover, the rescue people has the first priority.

As in the past few decades the number of fires has declined sharply, the fire department is increasingly taking on tasks that go beyond the traditional fire-fighting. The type of newly acquired tasks and the structures of the fire brigades are regional differences. So may be the trigger for the fire brigade and the prevention of environmental damage.

• 5.1 Training and Service
• 5.2 Youth work and recruitment
• 5.3 Patron

Understanding

Typically, each state has a single emergency number, with which you can request the fire department by telephone. Furthermore, the European Union has adopted a single emergency number for police, ambulance and fire brigade in 1991 the common euro emergency number 112, which has prevailed more or less under the then comprising the EU states. In the meantime, this emergency number has also been introduced in the new member countries. Since December 2008, in each Member State of the EU, the fire service on 112 accessible. Also have other non-EU countries, such as Switzerland, Norway or other also joined the euro emergency, their old emergency number is on the other hand, in most states continue and few have these emergency exclusively furnished.

Which organization or authority accepts the euro emergency regulated country-specific. Also, how far the euro emergency has already replaced the old emergency number or use it only in particular for foreign language is different from country to country.

Forms of organization

A fire department can be:

• A technical or organizational means the municipality
• An operational setting (factory - and firefighting )
• A private company, which, on behalf of the municipality or the operation of the functions of a fire department in it ( for example, Falck in Denmark).
• A genus of the military troops

Depending on the population structure and density of the structures of the fire department organizations are different. While the volunteer fire departments cover the area, the largest part of fire protection, for example, in Germany, in Austria and South Tyrol, put other countries on base fire departments with all official staff. Switzerland has in many communities, the general fire service duty for men and women. In most countries, a fire and / or disaster exists due to existing military structures. At the same time, there are countries in which mixed several of these structures or exist in parallel.

History

Even the ancient Egyptians were the first organized fire-fighting units.

In the Roman Empire turned into millions of cities like Rome. The houses were mostly multi-storey and were very close to each other, and the streets were very narrow. In many cases, wooden arrival and Stems were built the houses. Several times fires destroyed entire neighborhoods of Rome. In the year 21 BC a first fire department was established with 600 slaves.

In the Middle Ages the municipalities were required to build up the fire. For fire messages watchman and night watchman were initially responsible ( cry of " Feurio " ). First, the guilds and guilds were obliged to intervene in an emergency. Because so many buildings half-timbered buildings were made of wood and were often built within the city walls in a confined space, it came very often to major fires, which burned down entire neighborhoods. It fires servants were also the first time enshrined in the fire regulations, so that one can speak of the first fire departments, such as the fire brigade Vienna, is assumed to be its foundation in 1686.

The fire-fighting equipment was limited in pre-industrial times on simple tools such as buckets, ladders or pike. In the 17th century, the tube was invented, which was first made ​​of stitched leather; later, the leather was riveted. Until the beginning of the 20th century were hand pumps, so-called fire engines used, which were pulled by horses or the firefighters at the work site.

In the United States until the mid- 19th century were founded the first private-sector fire departments. Partial only houses were deleted, bearing the badge of such an undertaking.

Middle of the 19th century continued in the German and in the Danube region, the development of a comprehensive fire extinguishing system, a voluntary. Several fire departments claim the title of the oldest volunteer fire department in Germany for themselves. With a few gaps, such as the fire service during the period of National Socialism, since the system provides the volunteer fire department in addition to the duty, professional and works fire until today the lion's share to ensure the defensive fire protection in Germany.

With the onset of industrialization to the beginning of the 20th century, the technology provision of fire services increased significantly. With internal combustion engine-powered vehicles, a finishing of all fire departments with powerful vehicles and fire pumps was now possible.

Tasks

The responsibilities of the fire service are governed by the laws of each state. International widespread is the summary of the tasks with the slogans Save, Delete, mountains, Shield.

The fire department is with the task at fires, accidents, floods and similar events to make a charity aid, that is to save people, animals and property, to protect and recover, the rescue people but has the highest priority.

As in the past few decades the number of fires has declined sharply, the fire department is increasingly taking on tasks that go beyond the traditional fire-fighting. The type of newly acquired tasks and the structures of the fire brigades are regional differences; may be a trigger for the fire brigade and the prevention of environmental damage.

In the German language, often the two terms Rescue and Recovery can be used equally. Applies in principle to the fire service area in the German area, that the saving only applies to living things. Regulated this is for example in the two standards DIN 14011 ( for Germany ) and ÖNORM F 1000 ( for Austria ), where the terms are defined in Firefighting.

Save

Rescuing is the prevention of a danger to life of people through emergency procedures (first aid ), which serve the maintenance or restoration of respiratory, circulatory or cardiac activity and / or rid of a predicament by technical rescue operations. Fields of activity for this include fire, floods or traffic accidents.

The deletion is the oldest object of the fire department. In this so-called fire defense diverse fires are fought with the help of special equipment.

Over time, however, the number of the burnt Bekämpfungen has declined worldwide. Due to the increasing variety of tasks of the fire department, the technical assistance take too much - the fire department is developing to help in organization.

Hide

The fire department can still take over the mountains of material goods, dead people or animals.

Preventive measures ( protecting ) mainly elements of the preventive fire protection. These are intended to prevent incipient fires eg from fire security guards at public events or consistent fire safety education in the population in order to call attention to hazards and to demonstrate proper behavior in emergency situations.

Especially in industrialized nations the operation of fire protection is paid more and more attention, either through their own company or by public fire departments.

In addition, the fire department is frequently consulted as part of official building permits larger construction projects and consulted. Furthermore, the fire department is involved in various areas of expertise in the creation of standards.

In addition, the fire department operates actively protecting the environment, such as the containment of oil spills, removal of traces of oil on roads and protection against chemical, biological and nuclear hazards.

Staff

Training and service

The training for firefighter or firefighter depends on the structure of the fire department in each State. Depending on these circumstances, the training is more likely to take place centrally in fire service training or distributed in the various fire departments on site.

Look different from the training routes for fire departments and volunteer fire departments. Professional fire their education very often during normal standby time out, supplemented by individual specialized courses. When the volunteer fire departments, however, consideration must be made thereto, that the fire department members to pursue a civilian occupation, and the training must complete as possible in the off-peak times or in other recreational blocks.

Another criterion of the types of training are now the various certifications and quality management dar. This is necessary to allow the individual fire department members for the same functions or functions bestowed also an equal education.

In times of scarce financial resources, it is also necessary to organize the training as effective as possible. Especially in the area of volunteer fire departments, an attempt is the widespread training, as they represent the basic training to move to the sites related to the Fire Department, as therefore work in this area and the instructor on a voluntary basis and inexpensive. It is different with specialized training in which you have to use specialized facilities that are usually found only in central educational institutions such as schools or fire department in base fire departments.

Youth work and recruitment

In many countries, there is the fire departments that specifically cater to the recruitment of young people.

In some countries - such as Germany - will be tried in view of the declining number of emergency services in the volunteer fire departments, with advertising and image campaigns to attract new members. Through youth work in the youth fire brigades is trying to inspire children and young people for use in the fire, so they can be used with the appropriate age and qualification in the fire service with. In some communities, children's fire departments are offered.

Examples: Young firefighters for firefighters Germany or Austria for Youth.

Patron

In many countries, the Holy Florian is the patron saint of firefighters, who is invoked in times of drought, fire risk and infertility of the fields. Cause is the bucket of water, with which the saint is always represented with a helmet. However, it is the attribute of the martyrdom of the Roman soldiers, to be drowned in the river Enns. Therefore, firefighters are called in German-speaking countries as Floriani or Florian disciples. In some countries such as Germany or Austria also some fire service equipment or vehicles carry the tactical names, which then spreads on the radio call. In Germany and Austria, this expansion is expressed in the radio call the fire department in bad radio. This is the 4- meter band " Florian ", the 2- m band commonly called " Florentine".

In rural areas, a Florian or Florianimesse is on the anniversary of the saint, on May 4, barred, take part in the firemen of the village in dress uniform. Through events such as the open day the fire department to the public is presented.

Equipment

→ Main article: Firefighting Equipment

To fulfill the tasks entrusted to it, the fire department has in modern times on a variety of technical equipment. In addition to the fire engines This includes the loading and the personal equipment of each firefighter, which are housed in a fire station. This equipment is designed to protect against hazards of fire department service in education, practice and use. In most countries, this is from a fire protection suit, a helmet, gloves and safety shoes.

In addition, the fire department come and communication systems such as the BOS radio system and technology for alerting the fire fighters to use.

In some countries, rescue dogs belong to the fire department. They are mainly used in disaster Subsidiary after earthquakes or other disasters, but also in the search for missing persons.

In some countries, the fire department is also responsible for the rescue service and thus stops in front of appropriate vehicles and equipment. In Germany, this task is carried out predominantly in the range of professional fire departments.

Financing

Due to the lack of comprehensive protection or the cost of fire services is increasingly tried in countries without voluntary schemes to establish such. So there are in Greece from the ESEPA organized summer camps with task forces of voluntary fire brigades from other countries to help in the fight against forest fires.

But even in areas with a high proportion of volunteer fire departments, the financial component which is applied by the public in the form of donations or festivals, etc., in relation to expenditure incurred by the public sector, increasingly higher.

Fire departments in the world

(all figures excluding youth fire brigade)

Movies and Series

• The Inferno - Flame over Berlin
• The Towering Inferno
• Backdraft - men who pass through the fire
• In Fire (Ladder 49)
• Firestorm in skyscraper
• The Fire Angel ( series)
• Chicago Fire ( series)