– Hydraulic tools allow us to reach people trapped in crushed vehicles during traffic accidents. Our previous equipment no longer met the required standards, because modern cars have reinforcements, and more advanced hydraulic equipment is needed. We received it from the county authorities – says Paweł Świerżewski, president of the Volunteer Fire Service in Ścinawa.
Compared with the previous equipment, the new tool set differs above all in its cutting force, which is up to seven times greater than that of the old cutters. It also surpasses its predecessor in cutting speed. These differences have a major impact on the pace of rescue operations, during which every second can be crucial to saving a human life.
The new tool set cost the county authorities PLN 80,000. – This year, we have allocated nearly PLN 1.5 million to fire services throughout Lubin County. The equipment we handed over to the Volunteer Fire Service in Ścinawa is used for road rescue operations. It is simply essential, although we would like there to be as few opportunities as possible to use it – says Adam Myrda, Lubin County starosta.
The firefighters from Ścinawa carry out rescue operations throughout Lubin County and even in parts of Greater Poland, where, as they acknowledge, they reach the scene faster than Volunteer Fire Service units stationed farther away.
– I live just one hundred metres from the unit and hear how often the sirens sound. The firefighters from Ścinawa really do take part in various operations frequently, saving lives on the roads, fighting floods and carrying out firefighting operations—not only within our county. Given this, they cannot continue using worn-out equipment that no longer performs its functions – adds Krystian Kosztyła, chair of the Lubin County Council.
Lubin County/ii