Written about us

Firemen from Győr Visiting Nuclear Power Plant Fire Brigade

Nuclear Power Plant Fire Brigade’s training executive József Tóbi showed our guests from Győr round, introducing them in our firemen’s life and work. Lead by Fire Chief Péter Bőhm, the ‘general staff’ of our Fire Brigade was taking part in some kind of training in Hajdúszoboszló during the visit. As József Tóbi told our guests, the Fire Brigade’s total strength was currently 73. Our guiding principle was to ‘produce’ chiefs from among ourselves so there’s no need to employ outsiders in the Fire Brigade’s management. Also, Tóbi adverted to one of our firemen’s special new jobs, namely operation of the Nuclear Power Plant’s ambulance van, carrying equipment of a heavy ambulance car packed in a standard light ambulance van body. 30 of our firemen have ambulance technician’s certificates (too). They serve as drivers and ambulance technicians, as well. (The driver is, at the same time, a trained ambulance technician and, to make it even more complicated, only applicants with ‘C’ category driving licence and ‘PÁV-I’ aptitude certificate may be employed as junior staff members.)

Our guests from Győr, and we ourselves, were looking at Tóbi being at a loss when he mentioned that every day of the Fire Brigade started with relaxation in the form of a 30-minute yoga exercise, and that a physical instructor trained, just like a personal trainer, the firemen in a gym equipped to satisfy every demand. The Power Plant’s wage system with efficient incentives could as well be easily adaptable to fire departments of municipalities and other public bodies should administrative walls of contemporary narrow mindedness once fall down. From time to time, our Fire Chiefs undergo graphology tests, and so on. Nuclear Power Plant firemen work in a quality assurance system effectively and reasonably adapted in every detail to a specific fire fighting work environment. The problem inherent in this high degree of efficiency is that other sections of the Nuclear Power Plant are inclined to lure the firemen over to other jobs.

As a final attraction, the rescue ladder capable of conquering heights of 60 metres or so was erected in the yard like a real wonder of technology. Anybody could try it if he wanted to. At the end of the programme taking 4 hours or more, our visitors, all steeled firemen, returned totally ‘fagged out’ to the visitor centre.

Deputy service commander of group ‘C’ of the visitors from Győr Fire Captain Tibor Lazúr told us that they had had a group excursion last year, too, and would have another one next year. This year they looked out Paks as a “target” destination that common men are very rare indeed to enter. The question was simply put to the vote and Paks won.

I am hardly mistaken in smelling that 35 more votes will be cast for the future of the Nuclear Power Plant thanks to this visit – this is exactly the number of those who arrived from Győr in response to the call of uncle Pista. We couldn’t help mentioning that István Csöglei had closed the manuscript of another book. This time he had treated the history of the volunteer firemen of Tolna. Due to his stubborn research work, a memorial tablet was stuck these days to the sepulchre of the former fire Chief Dezső Niedzielsky. Detail will follow in our next. So, the manuscript would be ready for presswork; the only thing what we are lacking in is money.

Considering the experience obtained at our Fire Brigade, Captain Lazúr told us that their ‘home work’ is totally different in nature since much of their operations are implemented in permanent emergency. (To keep the ‘gun powder’ dry, Nuclear Power Plant firemen undertook to intervene with one engine in cases of fire within a 20-km radius circle around the Power Plant with a view to rendering some help to the Municipal Fire Department of Paks. In return for this help, the professional firemen of Paks have a ‘live’ invitation to all alarms in the Nuclear Power Plant.) Captain Lazúr found that the daily routine of the Plant firemen was quite unusual. For example, he deemed it a good thing that much effort was devoted at the Nuclear Power Plant to sporting activities and training. They couldn’t afford taking so much time in such intensive training because their barracks needed permanent efforts to be maintained in a state of habitable repair.

In his opinion, the stock and composition of fire fighting equipment and materials were more diverse in Győr than in the Nuclear Power Plant. He also admired the 60 m rescue ladder but, as he told us, their 40 m high one was so far sufficient to reach anything in Győr. According to him, one thing was sure: the team spirit as well as the system of group and individual incentives at the Nuclear Power Plant Fire Brigade were excellent.

And a ‘service announcement’: without valuable help of Mrs. Anna Lovászi (as she signs her articles), it would certainly be much more difficult for us to let our readers have an insight in the Nuclear Power Plant’s work and our firemen’s life, and we surely weren’t be so efficient in making public our firm conviction that the peaceful use of nuclear energy hopefully has a reason for existence and a great future in Hungary.

- A. János Kiss
Tűzvonalban 11th issue, 2006