Fire-fighters do a very important role in society, and they are often considered to be local heroes among many communities. There are few other jobs where people put their lives at risk to save other people and the job of a fire-fighter can often be very risky indeed. Without fire-fighters we might find that many more lives are lost and that much more property will be damaged and destroyed, but fire-fighters do more than just put out fires. In fact, much of the job of a fire-fighter has little to do with putting out fires at all.
Cats up Trees
As stereotypical as it may sound, fireman are occasionally called out to get a cat down from a tree. Not just cats of course but also people and not just from trees, but from anywhere high up. Fire-fighters have the equipment and the training that other services don’t have meaning that they are usually the first to be called out. People that are trapped in any way may need the help of the fire service to be freed and fire-fighters are often called out to road traffic accidents to free people trapped in their vehicles after an accident. With powerful cutting that can cut through steel like butter, a fire-fighter will be able to free you from many a tight spot.
HAZMAT
Yes, fire-fighters do jazzy sounding jargon as well. HAZMAT involves the removal of hazardous material that could potentially do harm to people. Again, they are well equipped with breathing apparatus and protective clothing that allows them to get close to materials whereas without such protection, we may get very sick indeed. This could include things such as chemical spills from factories or tankers and often they may just contain a situation until the experts arrive.
Floods
Another thing that fire-fighters are good at is moving water. They have the equipment to move a great deal of water from one place to the other and while this is handy for moving a lot of water onto a fire to extinguish it, it is also very useful should you have a flood. In the case of a flood the fire brigade could come along and begin pumping the water away to somewhere that it will do less damage and they are also quite handy at helping to clean up the mess left behind afterward.
Cleaning Up
In instances where something has come along and caused a bit of a mess, again it is the fire brigade that is called upon to clean up. Fire-fighters have the equipment needed to move heavy items and cut away at objects that may have become entangled with each other. If a hurricane has passed through the region and knocked roofs of houses and knocked down trees, for example, you are likely to see the fire service out on the street helping to tidy things up.
Medical Aid
Fire-fighters are also trained to give medical assistance and will often be the first on the scene to help. While they may not have the same equipment that paramedics will, they can still help people and try to keep them safe until the paramedics do arrive. At times of emergency when the ambulance service is stretched beyond its capacity, the fire brigade may act as a back-up service where possible.
Although we may think of fire-fighters as people that rescue beautiful maidens from burning buildings and getting old ladies’ cats down from trees, they actually do so much more than that. Even if you are fortunate enough to never encounter a fire, you may still find yourself being helped out by the fire service.
You can help to protect your home from the dangers of fire yourself, and you can begin to do so when you purchase a fire blanket here.
The Many Tasks Of A Fireman
