FIREFIGHTING TACTICS

Everybody in our society can suffer from natural and environmental disasters. Because of people’s carelessness with fire, harmful substances, electrical appliances and current, code violation the number of emergency situations is constantly increasing. That is why the firefighting personnel must be ready to rescue victims trapped underground, underwater, in a wrecked automobile, train or plane, high in a burning building or under the debris of the destroyed building. It is very important for the firefighters to know how to use their skills and professional experience to perform rescue operations. Firefighting tactics is just the thing which can help to perform this task. Firefighting tactics is a special theoretical and practical training of fire rescue units which is necessary for fire extinguishing. Firefighting tactics deals with seven tactical objectives. They are considered to be universal in fire service. They are as follows: rescue, exposure, ventilation, confinement, attack, salvage and overhaul.

As soon as the fire alarm is received the officer-in-charge of the firefighting crew (either lieutenant or captain) should have answers to the following questions: Is the crew fully staffed today? Are the water tanks full and do the pumps work properly? Is the firefighting crew ready to work in possibly very dangerous conditions? The answers to these questions determine the success of the firefighting.

Fireground actions dictate firefighting strategies to be used. They concern the size and age of the building, its construction type, access to the building and victims, extent of fire, time since ignition, direction of fire travel, flammable materials left in the building, the number of occupants, their location and condition, their mobility, hazards for firefighters and the routes of escape after rescue.

The size-up being done, three methods of attack are possible: the offensive attack, the defensive attack and the combination attack. If the firefighting crews have adequate resources they will fight the fire aggressively and offensively. If they do not have enough resources to handle the situation, then they will fight the fire in a defensive method of attack. The combination method is used when the extinguishing must be accomplished but there are no enough resources at the fire scene to handle the situation successfully.

The primary task of the firefighters is to locate fire. Usually the fire is attacked from the unburned side (з того боку, де немає займання) pushing the products of combustion away from unburned materials and areas. The fire being located, the water or another extinguishing agent are applied to confine the fire to its burning area. To confine the fire means to control it. When the fire is controlled or confined the active extinguishing begins. Salvage operations are considered to be very important. The fire being extinguished the overhaul begins. During this phase of operation the cause of fire is usually determined.

There are certain graphic indicators and signals of control in firefighting tactics. When it is impossible to give commands in a loud voice at the fire scene it is necessary to use signals of control.

Вправа 8. Дайте відповіді на питання до тексту.

1. Why is the number of emergency situations constantly increasing? 2. What must firefighting personnel be ready to do? 3. What kind of training is firefighting tactics? 4. How many universal tactical objectives do you know? Name them. 5. What problems does the officer-in-charge of the firefighting crew face after receiving the fire alarm? 6. What dictates firefighting strategies to be used? 7. What do the fireground actions concern? 8. How many methods of attack are there and when are they used? 9. What is the primary task of the firefighters? 10. What is the succession (послідовність) of operations after fire location? 11. What do firefighters use when it is impossible to give commands in a loud voice?

Вправа 9. Перекладіть подані словосполучення:

а) people’s carelessness with fire; firefighting tactics; a wrecked automobile; under the debris of the destroyed building; to use skills and professional experience; to perform rescue operations; tactical objectives; fire service; exposure; confinement; attack; to receive the fire alarm signal; to work in very dangerous conditions; to determine the success of the firefighting; fireground actions; to concern; access to the victims; direction of fire travel; to burn; mobility of the occupants; to fight the fire aggressively; to accomplish the task; to locate the fire; the unburned side; to push the products of combustion away; to apply extinguishing agents; undamaged; graphic indicators; signals of control; salvage operations; offensive attack;

б) необережне поводження з електричними приладами; порушення правил пожежної безпеки; капітан; рятувати постраждалих з понівечених літака або потяга; спеціальна теоретична та практична підготовка; мати справу з; провітрювання; гасіння пожежі комбінованим способом; межі розповсюдження горіння; ретельне обстеження; електричний струм, лейтенант; бути укомплектованим; стратегія пожежегасіння; час займання; місцезнаходження та стан мешканців; небезпека для пожежників; оцінка ситуації на місці; гасіння пожежі пасивним способом; впоратися з ситуацією; першочергове завдання; обмежувати розповсюдження пожежі; площа горіння; визначити причину пожежі; подавати команди.

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