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This year is the 20th anniversary for Paks NPP to have its own fire service.

Fully integrated within Atomix Kft’s organization, NPP Fire Service is far from performing fire fighting and technical functions alone. With a wide range of multifaceted jobs, they put particular emphasis on training in a tireless quest for new challenges. The industrial Fire Service of Paks Nuclear Power Plant is now one of Hungary’s best-equipped fire staffs of the highest calibre.
Established in 1990, NPP Fire Service has been providing mobile fire fighting and rescue services for the Power Plant as a full-time industrial fire department since July 1, 1994. NPP-based fire staff members are working in line with expectations, and are successful in their jobs, taking on new tasks on a permanent basis. NPP Fire Service closely monitors and promotes compliance with the provisions of the national Fire Protection Act and other relevant legal regulations at Paks NPP, and performs tasks as set out in the Contract for Professional Services concluded with the Power Plant. Fire fighting and technical rescue activities are accompanied in NPP Fire Service’s portfolio by a varied scope of fire prevention and fire safety inspections.
Fire Service provides 24-hour stand-by service, practices joint fire drills including the operational staff, and also maintains close co-operation with the professional fire staffs of nearby municipalities, as well as conducts training and test drills in co-operation with them and provides assistance to municipal Fire Departments in fire fighting and technical rescue operations if required. Operating the Plant’s Ambulance Service, NPP Fire Service plays an active role in the provision of plant-based emergency healthcare services and in taking the sick and injured to the hospital in an ambulance car. Moreover, NPP Fire Service performs on-call service for activities exposed to threats of fire and other dangers, as well as arranges fire safety training events for the personnel of the Plant’s Operational Department. Other tasks provided for in the Contract for Professional Services are highly varied, too, including, among others, rescue operations in elevator accidents, investigation and rectification of operating troubles, and the use of alpine equipment and methods in rescue work.
Also, NPP Fire Service is ready to fulfil any additional request arising on the part of Paks NPP, by which they can promote plant operations or PR activity. Such additional tasks may include work at a height, e.g. crane servicing, and joining open day events where the general public can meet face-to-face with plant-based fire staff members and have an insight into their work.
As Fire and Rescue Head István Schreiner told us, the work done by the staff covered so many branches of activity that required a comprehensive set of training courses held on a regular basis.
As part of numerous recurrent training programmes, fire staff members can take part in Highway Code courses, courses in the extinction of fires of live electric equipment, training in ambulance attendance and standard level first aid courses. Firemen can also attend regular update training in operational “sciences” with final exams at the end of the courses. There is strong focus on the harmonic development of both physical and mental skills; therefore, yoga and recreation are made an everyday routine for staff members, as are cooperation and communication training events, too.
As Fire and Rescue Head also noted, they were in continuous search for new courses and opportunities for development. In that spirit, staff members were enrolled in logging and power saw operator’s training courses last year. NPP firemen are obliged to complete drills in a number by far higher than required by law, and they are regular participants at various professional and sports contests and first aid competitions organized for firemen as another means to ensure their development. Nevertheless, it is a historical reality that NPP Fire Service proved to be an outstanding competitor at almost all contests. Indeed, to have a performance assessment scheme in place, to develop the quality management system on a permanent basis, and to increase reliability and the standard of professional skills and competencies are all called for making our firemen more successful in everyday work, and not at competitions. The success of this endeavour is marked by the fact that three of NPP Fire service staff members were rewarded at the county-level St. Florian’s Day celebration. József Farkas, János Lacza and Róbert Krämer received fancy articles in reward for their outstanding work performance.
For more details of NPP Fire Service operations, visit www.atomix.hu/atu.

Tolnai Népújság – May 2010