Fire, thick smoke and people trapped in a warehouse. Firefighters practiced an intervention at the Ilava prison

What to do when a fire breaks out in prison premises, corridors fill with thick smoke, and people remain inside? Exactly such a scenario tested the preparedness of the fire brigade of the Ilava prison and remand prison in cooperation with members of the Fire and Rescue Service from Dubnica nad Váhom.

The exercise began with the detection of smoke in the warehouse areas via the CCTV system. This was followed by the declaration of an emergency, the activation of the crisis staff, the evacuation of persons from the threatened areas, and the deployment of fire units.

In a smoke-filled environment, firefighters had to locate and bring eight people to safety, who were subsequently provided with first aid. During the intervention, they also localized three fire sources and gradually extinguished them. The exercise also included the coordination of the intervention between the institutional fire brigade and professional firefighters.

In similar interventions, speed is not the only decisive factor. Orientation in a confusing environment, correct information exchange, and the cooperation of all participants are also important.

Such joint exercises are held regularly at the Ilava facility. They allow for testing preparedness for emergency events, trying out individual procedures in practice, and, above all, aligning the cooperation of units that would have to act together during an actual fire.

The smoke was part of the scenario, but the tasks the firefighters had to manage were real. Such experiences can be decisive during a real intervention.