Fire Brigade Blog

It is true that firefighting is a dangerous job but still many people want to become a firefighter not for the hero worship but for the rewarding experience of saving people’s lives. If you are planning to become one yourself, you need to undergo fire brigade training that will equip you with knowledge and skills and will prepare you for every possible scenario during a fire accident.

Aside from these, fire brigade trainings also teach firefighter aspirants the basic duties and responsibilities of a firefighter. To give you some idea what these are, here are some of the most important tasks of a member of the fire brigade.

1. Response to Emergencies – Firefighters are on-call every day to respond to alarm and emergency situations.
2. Watch Responsibilities – Firefighters take turns in watching and monitoring incoming alarms, phone calls, and emergency information.
3. On-Site Coordination – After getting to the scene of the fire, these men work to communicate with the people and authorities to be able to carry on with the firefighting and rescue operations more effectively.
4. Driving – They are also required to know how to drive because they will be driving fire truck, fire engine, and even an ambulance during fire emergencies.
5. Fire Equipment Operation – Firefighters use firefighting equipment to tackle fire so it is part of their responsibility to operate these devices correctly. They connect fire hoses to fire hydrants, operate water pumps, and stabilize ladder trucks (to get to trapped victims). For smaller fires, they make use of power, CO2, water, wet chemical, or foam fire extinguisher, depending on the type of fire occurring.
6. Entry to Structures and Buildings – They are also in-charge of forcing entry to burning premises by cutting or breaking down doors with the use of axes, halligan tools, sledge hammers, power saws, and other equipment. This is done to make search and rescue of victims easier and faster.
7. Ventilation – During the fire situation, firefighters are also tasked to open and break windows, make holes on the ceilings and roofs, and to create openings for smoke and gas to escape the burning premises.
8. Search and Rescue Operation – One of the most difficult aspects of a firefighter’s job is the search and rescue operation where they work to locate trapped victims and rescue them safely out of the premises.
9. Clean Up – After the action is over and the firefighters have exerted all their might in fighting the fire and rescuing people, they are still required to finish up the job by picking, cleaning, and clearing the equipment.
10. First Aid and Medical Care – Firefighters are specially trained to perform first aid and emergency medical procedures on fire victims.
11. Care and Maintenance of Fire Safety Devices Equipment Maintenance – They also are obligated to clean, maintain, and inspect all the firefighting gear and equipment to ensure that they are on top working condition.
12. Station Duties – Aside from the equipment, they are also responsible for the maintenance of the fire station. They do rounds in the housekeeping chores.
13. Building Inspection and Fire Risk Assessment – Firefighters are also asked to perform inspections on buildings for fire risks and hazardous materials. They need to assess the area for code violations or hazards. They also inspect the fire equipment such as smoke alarms, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and sprinkler systems.
14. Public Awareness, Information Dissemination, and Personnel Training – Since fire safety is a collective effort, firefighters also work to spread the word by holding seminars and trainings on fire equipment use, fire prevention, and emergency preparedness. They also train and educate up and coming firefighters.

If you think that all a firefighter ever does it fight fire and go inside burning buildings, you are wrong. When they are not at action-packed fire rescue operations, they are doing other things that are just as important with regards to fire safety and protection.