We recently received the following report from a reader:
This is a fire access road on the grounds of I LO, leading to the building complex on Bankowa Street, including the State Archive. Is this how it should look? The sports field by the high school is generally slowly becoming a car park.
The reporter added:
Please, publicize this. It is simply dangerous.
We asked the Bolesławiec County Headquarters of the State Fire Service about the matter. Deputy commander, junior brigadier Mateusz Dąbrowa:
(...) I inform you that the road leading to the building complex on Bankowa Street, including the State Archive, may serve as a fire access road if it was designated in the facility’s documentation as access for vehicles of fire protection units.
He immediately added:
A fire access road is an element of the facility’s fire protection and should be maintained in a condition ensuring that emergency vehicles can pass at any time of the year. This obligation rests with the owner or manager of the site.
How should people park on a fire access road?
Deputy head of the Bolesławiec County Headquarters of the State Fire Service:
As a general rule, vehicles parked on a fire access road should not limit its function or hinder the passage of emergency service vehicles. Each situation should be assessed individually, taking into account the width of the passage and the possibility of free access to the protected facilities.
He also added: – At the same time, it should be emphasized that the mere marking of the location with a “Fire access road” sign is primarily informational. Regardless of this, the owner or manager of the site should ensure that the road remains passable and meets the requirements arising from fire safety regulations.
Is it dangerous there?
Junior brigadier M. Dąbrowa: – The State Fire Service has not so far recorded a situation in which vehicles parked at this location prevented rescue operations from being conducted. However, it should be noted that leaving vehicles in a way that limits the possibility of passage may, in an emergency, hinder the access of fire protection units and thereby affect the safety of people present in the facility. Hindering emergency services’ access during ongoing operations may constitute a misdemeanor.