Exercises to extinguish a large forest fire were held in the Gorodok district
The exercises were conducted as part of a training and methodological meeting with the management staff of the local executive and administrative bodies of the Vitebsk region on ensuring safety during the spring-summer fire hazard period. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Vitebsk State Forestry Association (GP LHKO) took part in them.
The practical part took place on the territory of the former airfield near the village of Veremeyevka. According to the plan of the exercises, the established abnormally hot and dry weather led to numerous ignitions of dry vegetation in the Gorodok district, followed by a transition to a forest fire. The fire also created a threat to private households of settlements and facilities of the Ministry of Defense adjacent to the forest areas.
19 teams from forestry enterprises performed in a sectoral competition parallel to the exercises from the Vitebsk GP LHKO. Their task was to quickly deploy and extinguish the simulated fire source before the rescuers arrived. Targets with light indication simulated the flame during the exercises. The team from the Orsha forestry enterprise coped with its task best of all. The "hosts" - employees of the Gorodok forestry enterprise - took second place. The team from the Rossony forestry enterprise closed the top three.
Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations participated in extinguishing the forest fire and were involved in rescuing and evacuating residents from the fire zone. Employees of the "Vityaz" fire and rescue squad (PASO) evacuated the victims to a safe zone on ATVs and handed them over to the medical service of PASO. The rescuers successfully completed the assigned tasks, and the emergency situation was soon eliminated.
For the first time in such exercises, the tracked fire engine GPM-54, created on the basis of the T-54 tank, was used. It is designed for extinguishing fires in particularly difficult conditions and large-scale emergencies. One of the main features of such equipment is its ability to extinguish fires from above. The machine's tank holds 9 tons of water or air-mechanical foam. Water is sprayed from the barrel like a fountain and extinguishes fire from the treetops. The water jet range is 60 m. The machine has high cross-country capability, it can knock down trees and clear a path in the forest on its way to the fire site. To prevent the fire from spreading to residential and industrial buildings, the GPM-54 rams buildings, collapsing them like houses of cards, and then proceeds to extinguish the fire. In addition, the machine's hull is armored, protecting the crew, including during firefighting at warehouses of ammunition, explosives, and petroleum products. The work of the "fire tank" was demonstrated this time at exercises in the Gorodok district.
The aviation of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus was also involved here - Mi-8 and Mi-26 helicopters with water-dropping devices, extinguishing a fire in a simulated forest area from above. It looked spectacular as a stream of water rushed down from the water-dropping devices suspended on cables, accurately hitting the source of the fire.
Other special equipment from the emergency services, the Vitebsk State Forestry Association, the Ministry of Defense, etc., also worked at the site of the simulated emergency. In total, about 40 units of equipment were involved in organizing the exercises, and more than 100 personnel from institutions and organizations of the region participated.
Upon completion of the exercises in anticipation of the 25th anniversary of the PASO "Vityaz", which was formed on April 19, 1996, distinguished employees of the detachment were awarded well-deserved awards. The event was attended by the First Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Khudoleev. He noted the high level of training of rescuers in the Vitebsk region. -0-
