Original scientific paper
Analysis of the publics' competence levels in preventive fire protection measures, firefighting and rescue of the people and property endangered by fire
Ivan Perović
; Public Fire Brigade Zadar
Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate the knowledge and skills of employees and the public to implement the preventive fire protection measures, extinguish fires, and rescue people and property threatened by fire in accordance with the Rulebook regulation.
The participants completed the paper-pencil survey, a total of 91 people were surveyed, and the obtained data was statistically processed in Microsoft Excel.
The results indicate that the knowledge and skills of the respondents are not at a satisfactory level. The respondents were not sufficiently educated on fires, basic and auxiliary means for extinguishing fires, preventive fire protection measures, and practical fire extinguishing.
The group of questions in the survey questionnaire that reflects the acquired knowledge on the basics of burning and extinguishing indicated the insufficient knowledge of the respondents, e.g. 44 % of respondents did not know the conditions for the occurrence of fire. Theoretical knowledge related to firefighting in general is very important and should not be underestimated. When the conditions for the occurrence of fire are recognized, preventive action can be undertaken to prevent a fire from occurring. And if a fire occurs, to carry out the fire extinguishing procedure, it is clear that one of the conditions that enables burning must be removed.
According to the program of the Rulebook, all surveyed employees should have attended an hour-long theoretical lecture on basic and handy means of extinguishing fires, their characteristics and for which type of combustible substance, i.e. class of fire, a particular means of extinguishing is used. Only nine respondents were able to accurately list the basic extinguishing agents, while 21 of them correctly listed the auxiliary extinguishing agents. Knowledge about fire extinguishing agents and the types of fires according to combustible substances, enables insight into how substances react in a fire and which are the most effective means for fire extinguishing, therefore such a high degree of ignorance among the respondents is worrying, because it calls into question their correct judgment and consequent action.
The program of the Rulebook (4) clearly prescribes one hour of theoretical and one hour of practical training with manual fire extinguishers and hydrants as well as with water-based extinguishing equipment. The obtained results indicate that the majority of respondents, i.e. 87.9% of them, never used a hand-held extinguisher, and 96.7% of them never used a hydrant network for extinguishing. The question arises as to why the respondents did not use fire extinguishers and the hydrant network, if this is explicitly stated in the Program.
As a part of the prescribed theoretical chapter on fire hazards and fire protection measures lasting 2 hours, there is also a teaching unit on evacuation. Based on Art. 55 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are obligated to prepare an evacuation plan in case of emergency, and to designate a person who will carry out the evacuation. Out of a total of 91 respondents, only 19 of them knew who this person was in their work organization. Considering that almost 60% of the respondents work in kindergartens and elementary schools, this data is shocking, since they are responsible for the lives and wellbeing of minors. An encouraging fact is that 96.7% of those surveyed knew the correct phone number of the fire department which is supposed to be dialled in case of need.
Keywords
fire; fire protection; fire extinguishing; qualification; survey; regulation
Hrčak ID:
313984
URI
Publication date:
28.12.2023.
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