14 Little-known facts about the work of firefighters

Have you ever wondered what firefighters do on days when there are no fires? Some people don’t know, but a firefighter’s work goes far beyond putting out fire. They often save cats that are in trees (yes, it sounds like a ready-made joke, but it’s true). Also, their clothing is flamethrower resistant, and they fix pipes, cut metal, and don’t like a full moon. Want to know why?

So check out the list we bring today about the work of firefighters.

Firefighters wear oxygen masks. In view of safety techniques, the face must not have a piercing, mustache or beard. These accessories make it difficult to attach the mask.

In the movies, firefighters find their way around a burning building with relative ease. They quickly find the wounded and take off their own masks to put on others. In reality, they cannot take off their masks, otherwise they will asphyxiate. Due to the high density of smoke, they cannot see or hear anything due to the noise produced by the flames, which drown out even people’s screams.

The worst enemy of firefighters is the backdraft, also called smoke gas explosion with reverse effect. What happens is that the fire in a closed room goes out due to the lack of oxygen, but when the door is opened, an immediate explosion is produced and the fire spreads by releasing hot gases. This phenomenon appears in the film curtain of fire (backdraft)🇧🇷

The value varies according to the material he uses. That’s why firefighters are almost always in great physical shape.

Molly Williams became the first woman to put out fires alongside men, in the early 19th century. Today, work is not easy for either men or women. But it is important for people to know that there is no such thing as the weaker sex. In addition to being wrong, this comment is prejudiced, especially in this context.

It bears repeating: a firefighter’s job is not just to put out fires. Firefighters work in cases of floods, earthquakes and other types of disasters caused by man or nature. In fact, they are a little bit mechanics, a little bit electricians, a little bit plumbers and even a little bit psychologists. In addition, they have knowledge of first aid and in some countries firefighters have medical equipment to help injured people.

It is very common to read notices that firefighters save animals. If a cow gets stuck, or if a dog falls into a hole, firefighters go to the scene and do what they can to save the endangered animal.

Of course they get a lot of fake calls. Even if a call is made from a hoax number, they will go to the location to check that everything is okay. If you admire the work of firefighters (and even if you don’t), respect their work and don’t make false calls.

In general, shifts are 24 hours with a 48-hour break. When big fires happen, or when they have to face other disasters, firefighters can work more than a full day without rest.

Firefighters store things neatly so they can get their boots on and gear on quickly. In general, in emergency cases they don’t have much time to leave because every second can cost a life.

In the past, Japanese firefighters used a special technique to put out fires. They entered the burning house with wet clothes so that it would not catch fire. Also, they knocked down the walls and waited for the fire to go out on its own. This method was important for saving lives, but ended in the late 19th century.

Currently, water is sufficient for a period of 5-10 minutes. That’s enough to start putting out the fire, and it gives you time to look for a hydrant or water tank on the site. Firefighters need to limit the movement of the fire and put it out as quickly as possible.

100 years ago it was easier to put out fires because houses, in general with many rooms and walls, prevented the fire from advancing quickly. Larger houses burn faster. It is very common for a fire to start in the kitchen and almost all deaths occur in homes without a fire alarm.

It is important to mention that after putting out the fire, an expert comes to the site to assess the cause of the fire.

In many countries volunteers work in fire departments because the government does not have enough resources to maintain the service. For example in Chile, where many firefighters are volunteers who pay monthly fees and receive special training.

In other countries, to be a firefighter you need to have a university degree or receive very rigorous training. In Brazil, training is carried out along with the preparation of Military Police.

A few years ago, Dalmatians would run in front of the fire team to get people out of the way of the horses. This breed is known for its courage and ability to learn quickly.

Today, Dalmatians remain a symbol of firefighters, but other breeds work with them. Dogs are important for looking for people by smell, or even for hearing distress calls in places where humans or even technology cannot perceive sounds.

This is how they wish you good luck. Since the fire is put out with water hoses, if the shift has dry hoses, there were no fires.

An interesting aspect is that, according to statistics, firefighters say that there is a large increase in the number of calls when there is a full moon.

For many people, being a firefighter is a dream. A job that saves lives and gets others out of dangerous situations. That’s why it’s not an exaggeration to say that a firefighter is almost a superhero. He risks himself to save others.