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Fire-Fighters at the Nuclear Power Plant

The fire service of the establishment of Nuclear Power Plant, the Fire-Fighting and Damage Preventing Special Section of ATOMIX Kft. kept its evaluative staff’s meeting of year 2003 on 28th January. The Head of the Catastrophe Protection Directorate of Tolna County, Safety Manager of Paks Nuclear Power Plant Rt. participated in the meeting, and the chiefs, representatives of the cooperating professional organizations of the power plant, town and county were also present.
Péter Bőhm Fire-Chief, the manager of Nuclear Power Plant Fire Service (ATÜ) started his evaluation of year 2003 introducing the fire prevention activity. In the period of the general overhaul the fire service followed the normality of the local storage of inflammable and explosive materials with special attention. Besides the fire-protection supervisions they participated in different plan juries, handovers of work areas, putting extinguishing- and signalling apparatuses into operation. They contributed to fire-protection education, fire-drill of the operational and operative staff. In all cases they fulfilled the other production supporting activities. They provided duty for significant number of hours in relation to the disturbance events of block number two in different areas of the power plant. In recognition of the work performed when eliminating the operating trouble, the moving staff received some rewards.
Within the frame of an overall supervision the activity of the fire service was checked by the County Directorate of Catastrophe Protection, and it was found correct. When compiling the annual training, the directives of the upper professional organizations concerning the education and the duties arising from the special situation of the power plant were taken into consideration. Last year the firemen of the power plant participated in a vocational training of basic knowledge, training of fire-protecting technicians, vocational training of ambulance nurses, and EU integration course. Each staff member gave an account of its knowledge successfully at the theoretical and practical exams specified in the system of performance evaluation.
Last year the fire service paid special attention to the common practice with the plant operation, as well as practising the execution according to the assumptions included in the Fire-Fighting and Technical Rescue Plan. Besides their own practices they participated in the practices of supervision and local knowledge made in the district of Paks Professional Municipal Fire Service, as well as in the practice organized by Accident Prevention, expanded to all areas of the power plant.
Compared to the previous years, fewer alerts arrived at the fire service in 2003. Considering the number of marches, alerts about fire-alarms meant the largest number, the ambulance service and technical rescue meant less. The number of the outside interferences in Paks and its surroundings was smaller than previously, which is a consequence of that the outside march of the fire brigade number 2 was cancelled when the operating trouble of block 2 was eliminated.
An important field of the fire-fighting damage prevention activity is the informant duty service. The technical equipment supply of ATÜ is of high-standard. The signalmen take an examination about knowledge, usage of the technical equipment placed in the informant room, rules of the informant duty and the relevant orders. At the directorate an independent computer network was built, which connects to the network of the power plant with suitable protection. At the fire service further development of the quality assurance system was realized. After the supervision audit performed by the body of MSZT, ATÜ received the ISO certification of quality assurance.
At the fire service promoted health preservation program is implemented (psychical and fitness examination, blood fat and liver function check-up, etc.) The examinations having been made for years serve with favourable results in the prediction of personal suitability. The psychical preparedness was promoted by the practice executed in the psychical practising course of the Airport Directorate of Catastrophe Protection. The staff has been provided with vaccination against the epidemic diseases for years.
The fire-fighters of the nuclear power plant held out successfully in the professional and sports competitions as well. They showed their knowledge in the county and national firemen’s competitions, as well as football competitions. In the town-, county- and national finals of the adults’ first aid competitions they were always among the first ones and at distinguished places even in the international competitions.
The fire service has established a good relation with its supervision- and partner bodies, especially with the Headquarters of Paks Town, with whom they are in daily contact. They agreed to a cooperation with the Fire Service Headquarters of the Capital City, work actively in the professional organizations safeguarding the interests, and welcome the visitors from the fire service headquarters, firemen’s schools with pleasure. They made fire-fighting and alpine-technical shows at several town- and social organizations, and the firemen’s shows are regular at the open days of the nuclear power plant as well. In the local and national media news has been published about ATÜ in large numbers, which has informed of the successes, efficient activity of the fire-fighters of the nuclear power plant.
Mr Péter Bőhm Fire-Chief emphasized the continuation of the education and practice of the plant staff, support of the work of the professional organizations safeguarding the interests, preparation of the psychological career profile, supervision of the training system, as well as the elaboration of the terms of fire-fighting under stress among the main duties of year 2004.
In his contribution Mr Antal Mácsai colonel expressed his praise in connection with the work of the fire service. ATÜ has already performed its duties among the first ones for more than 10 years, it has professed superiorly in case of each intervention, activity. In this result the management teams of PA Rt, ATOMIX Kft and ATÜ have a significant part, for which he expressed his thanks. He spoke about the work, performance of firemen of the establishment with recognition, with which they meet the requirements, expectations raised against them at a high-level.

Lovásziné Anna