Written about us

20-year-old NPP Fire Service
Respects to our firemen!

NPP Fire Service has turned this year the 20th anniversary of its establishment. On the occasion of this great event, a jubilee book was published and celebration held.

Heads of professional inspectorates, related organs, partner companies, fire commanders of the county as well as the management and staff members of Nuclear Power Plant Paks (PA ZRt.), Atomix Kft. and NPP Fire Service participated in the event held in Restaurant ASE on 13 October 2010. Following introductory words of the head of NPP Fire Service Fire Chief Péter Bőhm, chief engineer of PA ZRt. Balázs Kováts presented the book published on the occasion of the anniversary, and then PA Zrt. CEO István Hamvas expressed his congratulations and Fire Lieut. Col. Ferenc Sarkadi handed over, in the name of the professional firemen of Tolna County, a Cup of Honour as a gift.

As in 2000, the jubilee volume was also presented by Balázs Kováts, the reader of the book on the first 10 years of NPP Fire Service. In his presentation of the book titled “Atomerőmű Tűzoltóság húsz éve, 1990-2010” (20 Years of NPP Fire Service, 1990 – 2010), he also made a mention on his ties to NPP Fire Service. As he said, a book can be interesting for what is omitted from it. In this context, he referred to the book on firemen by György Moldova that has skipped NPP Fire Service because it functions in perfect order. The jubilee book is all about success as NPP Fire Service was really successful indeed.

The last 20 years may be best described in superlatives. They have designed and set up a well-thought-out system of innovation at the Fire Service. The Operating Code, a basis of their success, is a written expression of firemen’s commitment and confession, with an approach and a way of thinking the secret of their success lies in, which would have to be made widely known. In the presentation of the book, he expressed his thanks to the editor, Mrs. Zoltánné Lovász, and the reader, Ret. Fire Col. István Csőglei.

In his speech, CEO István Hamvas emphasized that long years of work are waiting for the Fire Service, longer than for the Power Plant itself. This is partly follows from the specified operating period of the Nuclear Power Plant, considering that NPP Fire Service will have a significant guarding and security role after shutdown. On the other hand, an appropriate fire safety regime will need to be ensured throughout the Power Plant when new blocks will be under construction and then shut down, as well as over the entire operating period of the Temporary Store of Spent Cartridges.

NPP Fire Service has always been functioning without drawing attention to itself, and has always done a good work, developing its technical facilities and extending its scope of activities (alpine means, emergency ambulance service, etc.), and stepped into the limelight only when it was transformed from a professional Fire Brigade into a full-time industrial fire department. As István Hamvas stressed, the level of Fire Service’ preparedness to offer quick and professional help in emergency on any Power Plant area also conveys a message of safety, which is also palpable in terms of a good work atmosphere. And the last 20 years can be best characterized with this high level of safety.

In context with the memorial gift handed over in the name of professional fire brigades of Tolna County, Fire Chief of the City of Szekszárd Lieut. Col. Ferenc Sarkadi said that the gift was based on a strong professional relationship. He said that professional and industrial firemen had always lent a mutual helping hand to each other and cooperated in both fire fighting and technical rescue operations and in the application of new technologies. He stressed that well-trained professional firefighters had a significant role in the commissioning of the Power Plant, and that, when speaking about fire departments, no distinction could be made between industrial, voluntary and professional firemen as they share common goals and expectations.

In a conversation following the celebration, István Csőglei, author of the book on the first 10 years, recalled issues such as concerns and difficulties of that early period, inter-state treaties, Hungarian legislation, fire classes, etc. Uncle Pista said that 72 employees of the Power Plant had been trained in fire fighting tasks at the first go. Later on, in 1990, a state-run outpost with a professional staff of 38 was established, which had to be transformed, due to a legislative provision, to create Atomix Kft’s Fire Fighting and Damage Prevention Branch as NPP Fire Service in 1994.

PA ZRt. security director István Radnóti stressed that NPP Fire Service was an integral constituent in the Plant’s safety regime, and had functionalities well beyond the traditional role of firemen. He said that plant staff’s and external partners’ recognition was due to the firemen also for their technical rescue operations and emergency ambulance services. In his view, the plant staff trained by firemen could perform its fire safety-related tasks up to a high standard.

Atomix Kft. managing director Csaba Szinger considered an honour to be invited to write recommendations for the book. He deemed the Fire Service to be an outstanding and crucial element of Atomix Kft. Atomix scored great successes in a wide scope of activity areas, and the Power Plant relied on their work.

With its exemplary approach to quality management and significant IT, health and safety and environmental database, NPP Fire Service offers great help in Atomix Kft’s successful functioning.

Fire Chief Péter Bőhm considered the book on Fire Service’ 20 years an acknowledgement, an expression of thanks to all who had established the Fire Service, who worked there; and this intention was made even more explicit by names, photos and writings in the book. Recalling his memories, he said that his original ideas were considered really unusual and received with doubt in those early years. However, life and external environment confirmed that they were on the right track. Their activity were acknowledged by all, and he hoped that this would strengthen them for the work of decades to come.

Congratulations and thanks to all employees and staff members of NPP Fire Service, and we wish all the best for their future work!

Mrs. Anna Lovásziné
ATOMERŐMŰ
November 2010