A dozen or so fire service units from Bolesławiec and Bolesławiec County arrived at Popiełuszki Square in Bolesławiec. The police, municipal police and a medical rescue team are also on site. Did something serious happen?
Fortunately, no. As the Bolesławiec County Headquarters of the State Fire Service reported on Monday,
On 25 August 2021 [Wednesday] – in connection with the organization by the Bolesławiec County Headquarters of the State Fire Service of county-level exercises for fire protection units at the Ibis hotel at 2 Księdza Jerzego Popiełuszki Square in Bolesławiec – traffic disruptions will occur on Bielska, Asnyka and Łukasiewicza streets from 12:00 to 14:00.
The firefighters added:
At the same time, we inform you that during the above-mentioned hours, exercise scenarios will be carried out on the premises of the Ibis hotel and in some rooms at the Orka Bolesławiec facility that are closed to public access. A significant number of fire engines will appear in the adjacent areas.
The services practiced, among other things, extinguishing a vehicle fire in an underground car park, evacuating injured people and evacuating hotel guests.
On 25 August 2021, firefighters from the Bolesławiec County Headquarters of the State Fire Service organized rescue exercises at the Ibis Styles Bolesławiec hotel and the Orka Water Park. The main objective of the exercises for 65 firefighters from three State Fire Service units and nine KSRG Volunteer Fire Service units from Bolesławiec County was to prepare for firefighting operations during fires in public buildings and to improve cooperation with the Police, Municipal Police, Medical Rescue Teams and the Municipal Crisis Management Team.
During the exercise scenarios, the firefighters were tasked with evacuating three people from smoke-filled rooms, extinguishing a fire involving an electric-powered vehicle in an underground garage, extinguishing a sauna fire, positioning 12 rescue vehicles on public roads, and organizing communications for cooperation and command. In addition, the firefighters had the opportunity to become thoroughly familiar with the newly constructed hotel building, as well as to check the functioning of the building’s safety systems and hydrants connected to the municipal water supply network.
The cooperating services assisted with providing medical aid and securing traffic on the roads. Procedures for deploying buses and alternative premises to secure space for evacuating a large group of people from the hotel were also tested.
The group of observers monitoring the exercises will prepare conclusions that the firefighters will use for further professional development, as well as to determine the equipment needs of fire service units for firefighting operations during fires in underground garages. It should be added that fires involving means of transport on underground levels pose a major challenge for rescue services because large quantities of toxic smoke are generated in enclosed spaces and a great deal of heat energy is released, which can damage reinforced-concrete structures.