Poles train firefighters in Ukraine
Search and rescue operations, high-altitude rescue, first aid. Trainers of Poland Emergency Medical Team PCPM conducted training sessions for firefighters in Ukraine. They culminated with exercises at the training facility of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
Three instructors of the PCPM Medical Rescue Team have returned from Ukraine, where they trained a group of nearly 50 Ukrainian firefighters from the Vinnytsia region. Firefighters are the first line of rescue in war-torn Ukraine. They are the first to arrive on the scene after the rocket attack, and they are the ones who pull the injured out from under the rubble.
Extraordinary challenges of firefighters
“In cities, buildings often collapse after shelling, so firefighters must have the proper skills to give the injured the best possible chance of survival. The main element of the training was search and rescue operations and high-altitude rescue, says Bartosz Trzaska volunteer, and PCPM Foundation instructor.
The second important element of the training is first aid.
“I was to conduct medical training for firefighters. After determining the experience of the guys and one girl, I decided to divide the training into 2 parts,” Dr. Justyna Leszczuk, a doctor in the PCPM Medical Rescue Team, reports from Ukraine.
“The first part of the training was on CPR according to current guidelines extended with the equipment available in their medical backpacks. The second part of the training was due to the current situation in the country, and I based it on my experience and observations from my work in Donbas,” the doctor explained. – We practiced various methods of taming massive hemorrhages and supplying chest wounds. At the end of the second day, we prepared a simulation combining all the training” she adds.
PCPM experience
Polish rescuers see great potential in further cooperation with Ukrainian firefighters. This joint initiative of the PCPM Foundation and the Vinnytsia Firefighters is a response to the new threats and challenges faced by Ukrainian rescuers due to the ongoing war in their country.
The Polish Center for International Aid has extensive experience developing and training firefighting services. Since 2014, PCPM has been developing a fire department in Kenya, building the entire system almost from scratch. Now the foundation is focusing on building a search and rescue team (USAR) to work on debris in Kenya. PCPM instructors also train firefighters in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and now in Ukraine.
There are very many areas where we can transfer our knowledge. In addition to practical training, the Ukrainian side is very interested in both the operation and implementation of a volunteer firefighting system in their country. The volunteer fire department as it is in Poland is almost a phenomenon on a global scale” emphasizes Bartosz Trzaska.
