Fire brigades are an indispensable part of our society with a wide range of tasks. They provide assistance in the event of accidents, rescues of persons and animals, fires, collapses or catastrophic events such as natural hazards or chemical incidents.

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly for some, only a fraction of fire brigade operations actually involve firefighting (Feuerwehrverband, n.d.; Kanton Basel-Stadt, n.d.; Prévôt-Lüdi, 2023). Most often, fire brigades go out to provide technical assistance, as well as to clarify false alarms. Only about 10-20% of fire brigade operations are related to the original task of the fire brigade, i.e. fighting fires.

Almost a fortnight ago, more than 2,500 firefighters were deployed in the south of Austria to contain the catastrophic consequences of flooding after days of heavy rain (ZDF, 2023). Natural disasters and emergencies are often unpredictable. This makes it all the more important for fire brigades to be able to respond effectively to these difficult situations. Many factors play an important role in a successful operation:

Training

Regular training in current techniques, procedures and safety protocols is essential to respond effectively to different types of emergencies. Good training and routinised processes ensure that procedures are known during operations and minimise the risk of mistakes in extreme situations.

Equipment

In addition to expertise, adequate firefighting equipment, vehicles and technical aids are also necessary. Modern technologies, such as thermal imaging cameras, enable a more accurate assessment of the situation on site and help in decision-making. In addition, the emergency services must be able to rely on their communication equipment to pass on important information. Kockum Sonics offers with the hazard alarm siren – redundant to analogue pagers – a simple communication tool to effectively warn of hazards and unforeseen situations, such as the imminent danger of a building collapsing. Safety must not be neglected, especially when it comes to protecting emergency workers who risk their lives to provide assistance.

Operational readiness and planning

Fire brigades need to be ready to respond to emergencies around the clock. This requires sufficient numbers of qualified firefighters and effective shift planning to ensure that enough personnel are available at all times. Developing operational plans, regularly reviewing protocols and preparing for different scenarios are crucial to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. Well thought-out planning, combined with effective communication and coordination with other emergency services and response agencies, minimises the risk of mistakes and greatly increases the chances of success during an operation.

Conclusion

The success of fire brigades in operations depends on many factors – comprehensive, preventive preparation for emergencies is crucial. This means regular training, professional equipment and readiness of firefighters. Apart from effective protection of firefighters from danger, the speed with which emergencies can be responded to also plays a major role in the success of fire brigades. This is where reliable alerting systems such as sirens offer advantages:

1. Efficiency: sirens can reach a large number of people in a short time. This is crucial to get firefighters to the scene as quickly as possible and to ensure an efficient response.
2. Reliability: Unlike modern technologies, sirens are less vulnerable to technical breakdowns, power outages or network disruptions. They provide a robust solution for alerting.
3. Familiar signal: Sirens produce a distinctive and universally known sound that immediately attracts attention and wakes people up.

Sources information

Feuerwehrverband. (n.d.). Erfassung Statistischer Daten. Retrieved August 10, 2023 from: https://www.feuerwehrverband.de/presse/statistik/

Kanton Basel-Stadt. (n.d.). Berufsfeuerwehr Basel. Retrieved August 10, 2023 from https://www.rettung.bs.ch/feuerwehr/bfbs.html

Prévôt-Lüdi, P. (2023. March 20). Mehr Brandfälle, weniger Elementarereignisse. Retrieved August 10, 2023 from: https://www.feukos.ch/de/feuerwehrstatistik-2022/

ZDF. (2023, August 5). Überschwemmungen nach Starkregen. Keine Entspannung in Österreich in Sicht.Retrieved August 10, 2023 from: https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/panorama/oesterreich-ueberschwemmung-starkregen-100.html

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