Members of the Sierra Occidental Fire Station, belonging to the Provincial Firefighters Consortiumhave participated this Wednesday in a drill of fire structural in a living place. The main objective of this activity is to reduce the response times of this body in the event of an emergency of this type.
Specifically, the practice carried out has been designed to test the “transition attack” technique, commonly known as ‘softening’, which consists of reducing the power of the fire by means of an attack from the outside to make it possible for the troops to access the interior of the fire. the house and can continue fighting it from the inside. It is a complex technique because when used correctly it is highly effective, but otherwise, it can entail significant risks.
As explained by Joaquín Marfil, deputy director of Operations of the Huelva Provincial Fire and Rescue Consortium, this is a very useful technique “to increase the survival of people who may be trapped by a fire”, as well as “to guarantee the security of the troops”.
In the same way, it has influenced the value of this type of drill to “acquire skills in the development of techniques and gain speed in controlling the fire.” In this sense, he has expressed that the realization of the ‘softening’ is possible thanks to “the endowment and tools available to the Consortium of Firefighters to deal with this type of fire.”
In addition, a thermal camera was used during the drill, equipment that allows controlling the effects of the application of ‘softening’ from the outside, as well as the evolution of smoke and gases. Specifically, it facilitates visibility through smoke, gases and combustion and, in turn, makes it possible to locate sources of heat, assess the temperature reached and even locate a victim.
Joaquín Marfil, has also pointed out the need to improve response times, since, according to the latest studies, due to new techniques, construction materials and the most common materials used in furniture, it has been reduced to a mere five or six minutes the period in which a fire in a house reaches its maximum power. This circumstance makes it essential that firefighting bodies have the tools and adequate training for a quick and efficient response.
The Huelva Provincial Firefighters Consortium, managed by the Provincial Council of Huelva, currently has a total of nine parks distributed throughout the province, which offer an essential service in the event of this type of emergency. In the period from January to April 2023, a total of 1,246 interventions have been carried out.
The provincial institution is currently developing an internal promotion process for 85 firefighters and 37 corporals from the Provincial Consortium in the 2023 public employment offer, responding to one of the aspirations of the civil servants of this body. In addition, it has acquired 24 new vehicles (of the BUL, BRP and FSV type) and protection equipment within its objective of continuous improvement of this vital service for the province with a total investment this year of 3 million euros.
