114-590: A volunteer fire department ( VFD ) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respond to emergency calls for long periods of time, and are summoned to the fire station when their services are needed. They are also expected to attend other non-emergency duties as well (training, fundraising, equipment maintenance, etc.). Volunteer firefighters contrast with paid firefighters who work full or part-time and receive
228-411: A Voluntary Fire Service ( Ochotnicza Straż Pożarna ) under proper law. Such volunteer fire services may receive financial assistance from the government for the equipment and staff training. In certain areas of Poland, almost every village has a volunteer fire service, because members enjoy high respect in their community. Volunteer fire services are fully integrated with the emergency system. Any call to
342-523: A diminishing returns trend. Contrary to the largely noncommittal approach taken in NATO , with its stops and starts in civil defense depending on the whims of each newly elected government, the military strategy in the comparatively more ideologically consistent USSR held that, amongst other things, a winnable nuclear war was possible. To this effect the Soviets planned to minimize, as far as possible,
456-437: A fire siren . Average response times are longer than with full-time services because the members must come from different distances to the station or to the incident. Such departments often have a fixed number of firefighters on staff at any given point in time, which sometimes equals the minimal numbers recommended. Some states allow the use of Length of Service Award Programs (LOSAPS) to provide these volunteer departments with
570-452: A public sector organization that operate within a municipality, county, state, nation, or special district. Private and specialist firefighting organizations also exist, such as those for aircraft rescue and firefighting . A fire department contains one or more fire stations within its boundaries, and may be staffed by firefighters , who may be professional , volunteers , conscripts , or on-call . Combination fire departments employ
684-590: A case of war) from throughout the USSR to join the Chernobyl task force and formed on the basis of the Kyiv Civil Defense Brigade. The task force performed some high-risk tasks including, with the failure of their robotic machinery, the manual removal of highly- radioactive debris. Many of their personnel were later decorated with medals for their work at containing the release of radiation into
798-610: A civil service to the public, obliging private fire companies to shut down, many merging their fire stations into the city's fire department. In 1833, London's ten independent brigades all merged to form the London Fire Engine Establishment (LFEE), with James Braidwood as the Chief Officer. Braidwood had previously been the fire chief in Edinburgh , where the world's first municipal fire service
912-445: A country's population is more valuable than all of the land, factories and other assets that it possesses. People rebuild a country after its destruction, and it is therefore important for the economic security of a country that it protect its people. According to psychology , it is important for people to feel as though they are in control of their own destiny, and preparing for uncertainty via civil defense may help to achieve this. In
1026-628: A designated area/building and required to monitor the fall of incendiary bombs and pass on news of any fires that had broken out to the NFS. They could deal with an individual magnesium alloy ("Elektron") incendiary bomb by dousing it with buckets of sand or water or by smothering. Additionally, 'Gas Decontamination Teams' kitted out with gas-tight and waterproof protective clothing were to deal with any gas attacks . They were trained to decontaminate buildings, roads, rail and other material that had been contaminated by liquid or jelly gases. Little progress
1140-408: A durable plaque that would be affixed to the building exterior. Although a popular legend says a company's fire brigade would not extinguish a burning building if it did not have the correct fire mark, there is little evidence to support this; evidence shows insurance companies required their firefighters to fight every fire they encountered. Amsterdam also had a sophisticated firefighting system in
1254-585: A fire department varies greatly by country. In the United States, firefighting is usually organized on a municipal level. Some municipalities belong to "fire protection districts" that are served by the same fire department, such as the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District . Austria, Germany and Canada also organize fire services at a municipal level. In France , fire services mostly cover one department . In
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#17327724693851368-471: A full-time department. Unlike the United States where volunteer fire companies may operate independently of local government with limited tax base support, or as semi-private organizations, in Canada volunteer fire departments are normally operated by municipalities or by counties. Provinces establish standards of equipment and training that volunteer departments must meet. Chile is one of the few countries in
1482-399: A green or blue light without a siren. The use of such equipment varies from fire district to fire district based on the need for fast response, the distance that members live from the fire station, the size and amount of other traffic in the fire district as well as local and state law. Some departments restrict or prohibit the use of such emergency lights, even when allowed by state law, due to
1596-437: A mix of professional and volunteer firefighters. In some countries, fire departments may also run an ambulance service , staffed by volunteer or professional EMS personnel . Fire departments are organized in a system of administration, services, training, and operations; for example: A fire service is normally set up where it can have fire stations, fire engines and other relevant equipment strategically deployed throughout
1710-560: A model civil defense structure for the U.S. Called the "Blue Book" by civil defense professionals in reference to its solid blue cover, it was the template for legislation and organization for the next 40 years. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of the Cold War civil defense effort was the educational effort made or promoted by the government. In Duck and Cover , Bert the Turtle advocated that children " duck and cover " when they "see
1824-628: A nuclear attack are effects from the blast, fires and radiation. One of the most prepared countries for a nuclear attack is Switzerland . Almost every building in Switzerland has an abri (shelter) against the initial nuclear bomb and explosion followed by the fall-out. Because of this, many people use it as a safe to protect valuables, photos, financial information and so on. Switzerland also has air-raid and nuclear-raid sirens in every village. A "radiologically enhanced weapon", or " dirty bomb ", uses an explosive to spread radioactive material. This
1938-495: A salary. Some volunteer firefighters may be part of a combination fire department that employs both full-time and volunteer firefighters. On-call firefighters who receive some pay for their work are known as call firefighters in the United States, and retained firefighters in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The earliest firefighting organizations were made up of volunteers. The first large organized force of firefighters
2052-630: A significant investment in civil and military defense, British civilian losses during the Blitz were higher than in most strategic bombing campaigns throughout the war. For example, there were 14,000-20,000 UK civilian fatalities during the Battle of Britain, a relatively high number considering that the Luftwaffe dropped only an estimated 30,000 tons of ordinance during the battle. Granted, this resulting 0.47-0.67 civilian fatalities per ton of bombs dropped
2166-485: A specified amount of in-house training. During this time, often called the probationary period, the recruit is known as a probationary firefighter , or 'probie'. Once the probationary period is completed, the member is eligible to become a fully qualified firefighter. In the United States, the Department of Labor classifies volunteer firefighters as firefighters that receive no compensation or nominal fees up to 20% of
2280-451: A tool to assist in recruiting and retaining members. LOSAPS are simple programs that can be implemented with minimal taxpayer expense. Some volunteer fire departments allow the use of courtesy lights or emergency lights and sirens by their members. In most states that allow both lights and sirens, this is a red light and siren that gives the responding member the same privileges as other emergency vehicles. In other jurisdictions, this may be
2394-471: A wide brief for assisting in large scale civil emergencies such as flood, earthquake, invasion, or civil disorder. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, in the United States the concept of civil defense has been revisited under the umbrella term of homeland security and all-hazards emergency management. In Europe , the triangle CD logo continues to be widely used. Created in 1939 by Charles Coiner of
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#17327724693852508-430: Is a theoretical risk, and such weapons have not been used by terrorists. Depending on the quantity of the radioactive material, the dangers may be mainly psychological. Toxic effects can be managed by standard hazmat techniques. The threat here is primarily from disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Various chemical agents are a threat, such as nerve gas ( VX , Sarin , and so on.). Mitigation
2622-620: Is a volunteer and community-based fire and emergency services organization that is made up of around 61,000 members. Of these members, some 59,000 are volunteers. Their roles range from fire, rescue, HAZMAT, to non-operational support roles. In Western Australia, fire fighting is organized by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) together with Local Councils. DFES operates the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Brigades (VFRS) and some Bush Fire Service Brigades (BFS), while
2736-445: Is characterised by a number of terms, each of which has its own specific shade of meaning, such as crisis management , emergency management , emergency preparedness , contingency planning , civil contingency , civil aid and civil protection . Some countries treat civil defense as a key part of defense in general. For example, total defence refers to the commitment of a wide range of national resources to defense, including
2850-597: Is currently widely used within the European Union to refer to government-approved systems and resources tasked with protecting the non-combat population, primarily in the event of natural and technological disasters. For example, the EU's humanitarian aid policy director on the Ebola Crisis, Florika Fink-Hooijer , said that civil protection requires "not just more resources, but first and foremost better governance of
2964-597: Is funded as a federal agency by the federal government of Germany. 99.7755% of the members volunteer their time. Depending upon the location and availability of other services, a VFD may be responsible for controlling structure fires as well as forest fires . Because it may be the only emergency services department for some distance, a rural VFD may also include community first responders , emergency medical technicians , Hazardous Materials Response, and other specially qualified rescue personnel. Law enforcement officers may also be trained in these related duties and overlap with
3078-478: Is no particular format for the VFD open house. It can be formal or informal. The goal is to get public involvement in the VFD efforts. It is recommended that the open house should include demonstrations of equipment and show and tell . This allows the public to understand how the volunteers are organized in their local community and it is used as a public relations tool. The combination of demonstrations and drills allows
3192-456: Is the process of actively preventing war or the release of nuclear weapons . It includes policy analysis, diplomacy, political measures, nuclear disarmament and more military responses such as a National Missile Defense and air defense artillery . In the case of counter-terrorism, mitigation would include diplomacy, intelligence gathering and direct action against terrorist groups. Mitigation may also be reflected in long-term planning such as
3306-428: Is the responsibility of the volunteer-based State Emergency Service . In most former Soviet countries civil defense is the responsibility of governmental ministries, such as Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations . Relatively small investments in preparation can speed up recovery by months or years and thereby prevent millions of deaths by hunger, cold and disease. According to human capital theory in economics ,
3420-425: Is to obtain potassium iodide (KI) tablets as a safety measure to protect the human thyroid gland from the uptake of dangerous radioactive iodine . Another measure is to cover the nose, mouth and eyes with a piece of cloth and sunglasses to protect against alpha particles , which are only an internal hazard. To support and supplement efforts at national, regional and local level with regard to disaster prevention,
3534-660: The Air Force . The Coast Guard Auxiliary performs a similar role in support of the U.S. Coast Guard . Like the Civil Air Patrol, the Coast Guard Auxiliary was established in the run up to World War II. Auxiliarists were sometimes armed during the war, and extensively participated in port security operations. After the war, the Auxiliary shifted its focus to promoting boating safety and assisting
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3648-739: The Brotherhood of Blackheads , the first organization of volunteer firemen in 1862, also being the first such organization in Imperial Russia . Volunteer fire organizations existed throughout all political systems in Estonia since then, although the cause saw significant setbacks in the political purges following Soviet occupation . Volunteer fire brigades were the backbone of the rescue services before re-independence, owning around 3/4ths of rescue equipment, personnel, and also handling around 3/4ths of all fires, primarily in rural areas. In 2010,
3762-552: The Disaster Relief Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-288). In the portions of the civil defense statute incorporated into the Stafford Act, the primary modification was to use the term "Emergency Preparedness" wherever the term "Civil Defence" had previously appeared in the statutory language. An important concept initiated by President Jimmy Carter was the so-called "Crisis Relocation Program" administered as part of
3876-535: The Gotha bombers surpassed the zeppelins. The most devastating raids inflicted 121 casualties for each ton of bombs dropped; this figure was then used as a basis for predictions. After the war, attention was turned toward civil defense in the event of war, and the Air Raid Precautions Committee (ARP) was established in 1924 to investigate ways for ensuring the protection of civilians from
3990-476: The Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency , which is today Canada's oldest fire department. In 1764, Haddonfield, New Jersey established the second oldest fire company in the United States. Another early American fire department, staffed by unpaid volunteers, was established in the city of Petersburg, Virginia in 1773. In the 19th century, cities began to form their own fire departments as
4104-605: The Israel Fire and Rescue Services . Adult volunteers work either out of the fire stations, in the same vehicles as the paid firefighters or in independent units that operate out of their own fire truck. Young volunteers (ages 15–18) work only out of the stations. The Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) in the Republic of Ireland is a branch of Civil Defence Ireland . The service is usually only called upon for flooding incidents, emergency water supply and large-scale incidents where
4218-660: The National Fire Service (NFS)), fire watchers, rescue, first aid post, stretcher party and industry. Over 1.9 million people served within the CD; nearly 2,400 died from enemy action. The organization of civil defense was the responsibility of the local authority. Volunteers were ascribed to different units depending on experience or training. Each local civil defense service was divided into several sections. Wardens were responsible for local reconnaissance and reporting, and leadership, organization, guidance and control of
4332-589: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service , Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service , where they only get paid their retainer fee, but are not paid for attending incidents The only autonomous volunteer fire service is the Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade , which is contracted to provide operations for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service . Other voluntary fire brigades existed in
4446-741: The South Australian Country Fire Service (SACFS). The SACFS is staffed by approximately 13,500 volunteer firefighters and around 120 paid employees. Volunteer fire departments ( Freiwillige Feuerwehr ) provide the majority (97% of all German firefighters) of Austria's and Germany's civil protection services , alongside other volunteer organizations like the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) , voluntary ambulance services and emergency medical or rescue services like German Red Cross or Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe . In most rural fire departments,
4560-796: The United States , the Office of Civilian Defense was established in May 1941 to coordinate civilian defense efforts. It coordinated with the Department of the Army and established similar groups to the British ARP. One of these groups that still exists today is the Civil Air Patrol , which was originally created as a civilian auxiliary to the Army . The CAP was created on December 1, 1941, with
4674-563: The United States , the sheer power of nuclear weapons and the perceived likelihood of such an attack precipitated a greater response than had yet been required of civil defense. Civil defense, previously considered an important and commonsense step, became divisive and controversial in the charged atmosphere of the Cold War . In 1950, the National Security Resources Board created a 162-page document outlining
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4788-526: The flash ." Booklets such as Survival Under Atomic Attack , Fallout Protection and Nuclear War Survival Skills were also commonplace. The transcribed radio program Stars for Defense combined hit music with civil defense advice. Government institutes created public service announcements including children's songs and distributed them to radio stations to educate the public in case of nuclear attack. The US President Kennedy (1961–63) launched an ambitious effort to install fallout shelters throughout
4902-403: The increased risk of traffic accidents involving volunteers responding in emergency mode. In some states, volunteer firefighters and EMTs are eligible to receive specialty license plates for personal vehicles that identify them as trained emergency services personnel. Operational volunteer fire department members receive some form of training, either in a formal or informal setting, depending on
5016-516: The 17th century after the Great Fire of London in 1666. The first insurance brigades were established the following year. Others began to realize that a lot of money could be made from this practice, and ten more insurance companies set up in London before 1832: The Alliance, Atlas, Globe, Imperial, London, Protector, Royal Exchange, Sun Union and Westminster. Each company had its own fire mark ,
5130-418: The 1920s and were implemented in some countries during the 1930s as the threat of war and aerial bombardment grew. Civil-defense structures became widespread after authorities recognised the threats posed by nuclear weapons . Since the end of the Cold War , the focus of civil defense has largely shifted from responding to military attack to dealing with emergencies and disasters in general. The new concept
5244-517: The Coast Guard in performing search and rescue and marine safety and environmental protection. In the United States a federal civil defense program existed under Public Law 920 of the 81st Congress, as amended, from 1951 to 1994. That statutory scheme was made so-called all-hazards by Public Law 103–160 in 1993 and largely repealed by Public Law 103–337 in 1994. Parts now appear in Title VI of
5358-526: The Firefighting law. It is a union of all voluntary fire brigades, all voluntary industrial fire brigades and their fire brigades, which are organized at the municipal, inter-municipal and regional level. The Firefighting Association of Slovenia was founded in 1949 in Ljubljana, as the successor to all previous associations of fire brigade organizations. Since then, it has been performing the duties of
5472-807: The Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY), which provides information, education, and training for the volunteer fire and emergency medical services throughout New York State . Volunteer firefighters go through some or all of the same training that career personnel do, although the training varies among jurisdictions. When volunteers join a department, they often enroll in firefighting classes and other certifications that teach them how to become volunteer firefighters. Examples of these certifications include Firefighter I, Firefighter II, S-130/S-190 , Emergency Medical Responder , and Emergency Medical Technician . Some departments also require recruits to complete
5586-544: The N. W. Ayer Advertising Agency, it was used throughout World War II and the Cold War era. In the U.S., 2006 saw the retirement of the old triangle logo, to be replaced with a stylised EM (for emergency management ). A reference to the old CD logo (without the red CD letters) can be seen above the eagle's head in the FEMA seal. The name and logo continue to be used by Hawaii State Civil Defense and Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense. The term "civil protection"
5700-494: The Philippines began during the 1960s, a time when fires were a frequent occurrence. Member proficiency for these services has improved since the 1960s due to self-education, training, and experience. The State Fire Service ( Polish : Państwowa Straż Pożarna ) is a professional firefighting service that covers the whole territory from their stations in cities and towns. In rural areas, however, local inhabitants may create
5814-683: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 100-107 [1988 as amended]. The term EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS was largely codified by that repeal and amendment. See 42 USC Sections 5101 and following. In most of the states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization , such as the United States , the United Kingdom and West Germany , as well as the Soviet Bloc , and especially in
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#17327724693855928-715: The United Kingdom, most fire services cover one or more counties , while Scotland and Northern Ireland each have a single fire service. In Australia, state governments run the fire services, although three states have separate agencies for metropolitan and rural areas. Poland, the Czech Republic, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, and the Philippines have national fire and rescue services. Fire departments may also provide other, more specialized emergency services, such as aircraft rescue and firefighting , hazardous materials response, technical rescue , search and rescue , and wildland firefighting . In some countries or regions (e.g.,
6042-496: The United States, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau), fire departments can be responsible for providing emergency medical services . The EMS personnel may either be cross-trained as firefighters or a separate division of emergency medical technicians and paramedics . While some services act only as "first responders" to medical emergencies, stabilizing victims until an ambulance can arrive, other fire services also operate ambulance services . The earliest known firefighting service
6156-492: The United States, the federal civil defense program was authorized by statute and ran from 1951 to 1994. Originally authorized by Public Law 920 of the 81st Congress, it was repealed by Public Law 93–337 in 1994. Small portions of that statutory scheme were incorporated into the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 100–707) which partly superseded in part, partly amended, and partly supplemented
6270-409: The United States. These shelters would not protect against the blast and heat effects of nuclear weapons, but would provide some protection against the radiation effects that would last for weeks and even affect areas distant from a nuclear explosion. In order for most of these preparations to be effective, there had to be some degree of warning. In 1951, CONELRAD (Control of Electromagnetic Radiation)
6384-483: The VFD. The VFD may also have duties as the local fire inspectors , arson investigators , and as fire safety and prevention education, in addition to being the local civil defense or disaster relief liaison. A volunteer fire department is normally reached the same way as other emergency services, such as by calling 9-1-1 or 1-1-2 . A central dispatcher then calls out the VFD, often through equipment such as pagers , radios , phone apps, or loud signals, such as
6498-503: The area it serves, so that dispatchers can send fire engines, fire trucks, or ambulances from the fire stations closest to the incident. Larger departments have branches within themselves to increase efficiency, composed of volunteers, support, and research. Most places are covered by a public sector fire department, which is established by a local or national government and funded by taxation. Even volunteer fire departments may still receive some government funding. The typical size of
6612-639: The city emerged when people realized the very frequent incidents of fire, especially structure fire because houses are traditionally made out of wood. Due to high temperatures near the equator, fire incidents are common; thus, many people started or joined volunteer fire brigades to assist the existing government fire brigade (the Dinas Pemadam Kebakaran ). These volunteer fire brigades are paid Rp 0.000,- but in some cases, some people give them money for charitable reasons. In Israel , volunteer firefighters function alongside paid firefighters in
6726-523: The city of Kingston Ontario (population 130,000), of the ten stations operated by the Kingston Fire and Rescue Service, three are staffed with career firefighters, two are composite and five are wholly volunteer. There are an estimated 127,000 volunteer firefighters across the country. Most urban and larger fire services began as volunteer service and evolved into full-time members. Volunteer departments are necessary for areas that cannot afford to staff
6840-626: The city with 120,000 troops to force people back to work. A different government department proposed setting up camps for refugees for a few days before sending them back to London. A special government department, the Civil Defence Service , was established by the Home Office in 1935. Its remit included the pre-existing ARP as well as wardens, firemen (initially the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and latterly
6954-718: The colonies' first fire insurance company in Philadelphia named the Philadelphia Contributionship, as well as its associated Union Volunteer Fire Company , which was an unpaid (volunteer) company. A document dated in 1686 informs about the payment system of four so called "fire servants" (German: Feuerknecht ) in Vienna , which is the official founding year of the Vienna Fire Department. In 1754, Halifax, Nova Scotia established
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#17327724693857068-612: The compensation a full-time firefighter would receive in the same capacity. The DOL allows volunteer firefighters to receive benefits such as worker's compensation, health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, pension plans, length of service awards, and property tax relief. DOL-defined volunteer firefighters may be paid nominal fees on a per-call basis, per-shift basis, or various service requirements, but they may not be compensated based on productivity or with an hourly wage. The terms 'part paid' and 'paid on-call' refer to firefighters who are receiving some compensation, but less than
7182-516: The compensation a full-time firefighter would receive. The terms may refer to volunteer firefighters who do not qualify as volunteers under the United States Department of Labor. These individuals may also volunteer time for training, public education, fund-raising, and other non-emergency department-related activities. In late 19th and early 20th century American slang, volunteer firefighters were referred to as ' vamps ', although
7296-402: The councillors had decided that hydrogen bombs meant that there could be no recovery from a nuclear attack. The British government opposed such a move and held a provocative Civil Defence exercise on the streets of Coventry which Labour council members protested against. The government also decided to implement its own committee at the city's cost until the council reinstituted its committee. In
7410-609: The country is covered by volunteers. Throughout Australia, there are many volunteer firefighting agencies that are set up by individual states or territories. New South Wales is serviced by two statutory firefighting authorities. These are the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) and Fire and Rescue NSW . Fire and Rescue NSW has firefighting and rescue responsibilities for the major cities, metropolitan areas, and several other towns in NSW. It also has
7524-707: The crisis, the British Government decided to make these a permanent feature, with a standard design of precast concrete trench lining. They also decided to issue the Anderson shelter free to poorer households and to provide steel props to create shelters in suitable basements. During the Second World War , the ARP was responsible for the issuing of gas masks , pre-fabricated air-raid shelters (such as Anderson shelters , as well as Morrison shelters ),
7638-556: The danger of air-raids . The Committee produced figures estimating that in London there would be 9,000 casualties in the first two days and then a continuing rate of 17,500 casualties a week. These rates were thought conservative. It was believed that there would be "total chaos and panic" and hysterical neurosis as the people of London would try to flee the city. To control the population harsh measures were proposed: bringing London under almost military control, and physically cordoning off
7752-426: The design of the interstate highway system and the placement of military bases further away from populated areas. Preparation consists of building blast shelters and pre-positioning information, supplies, and emergency infrastructure. For example, most larger cities in the U.S. now have underground emergency operations centers that can perform civil defense coordination. FEMA also has many underground facilities for
7866-443: The effects of nuclear weapon strikes on its territory, and therefore spent considerably more thought on civil defense preparations than in U.S., with defense plans that have been assessed to be far more effective than those in the U.S. Soviet Civil Defense Troops played the main role in the massive disaster relief operation following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident . Defense Troop reservists were officially mobilized (as in
7980-400: The environment , with a number of the 56 deaths from the accident being Civil defense troops. In Western countries, strong civil defense policies were never properly implemented, because it was fundamentally at odds with the doctrine of " mutual assured destruction " (MAD) by making provisions for survivors. It was also considered that a full-fledged total defense would have not been worth
8094-954: The federal civil defense program. That effort largely lapsed under President Ronald Reagan, who discontinued the Carter initiative because of opposition from areas potentially hosting the relocated population. Threats to civilians and civilian life include NBC ( Nuclear , Biological , and Chemical warfare ) and others, like the more modern term CBRN (Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear). Threat assessment involves studying each threat so that preventative measures can be built into civilian life. Refers to conventional explosives. A blast shelter designed to protect only from radiation and fallout would be much more vulnerable to conventional explosives. See also fallout shelter . Shelter intended to protect against nuclear blast effects would include thick concrete and other sturdy elements which are resistant to conventional explosives. The biggest threats from
8208-550: The financial crisis of the mid-1960s. Its neighbors, however, remained committed to Civil Defence, namely the Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps and Civil Defence Ireland (Republic of Ireland). In the United States, the various civil defense agencies were replaced with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1979. In 2002 this became part of the Department of Homeland Security . The focus
8322-546: The fire emergency number is routed to the nearest state fire service station, which first deploys the nearest volunteer fire service, followed by the State Fire Service. The Firefighting Association of Slovenia is an independent, non-profitable, humanitarian, non-political and the highest form of association of voluntary fire brigades and their associations. It operates on the basis of the Associations law and
8436-490: The firefighters are volunteers. In Indonesia , the city with the largest number of volunteer fire brigades is in Banjarmasin , South Kalimantan province. The city is also sometimes nicknamed " Kota seribu pemadam kebakaran " (The city with a thousand fire brigades). Water access is also relatively easy as rivers are easily founded at the city to be the source of water for fire fighting. The need for more fire brigades in
8550-486: The firefighting in the countryside mostly depends on volunteer fire departments, nearly always with a contract with the regional emergency authorities (or, formerly and in Åland , the municipality). There are also volunteer fire departments in cities, but they have a minor role. There are also junior firefighters in the volunteer fire departments. They are usually 10–17 years old but some fire departments also have "early juniors" that are 7–9 years old. In France , 80% of
8664-492: The firehouse, and possibly also covers insurance, worker's compensation, and other post-injury or retirement benefits. A VFD (or its governing entity) may also contract with other nearby departments to cover each other in a mutual aid (or automatic aid) pact as a means of assisting each other with equipment and manpower as necessary. The material and extraordinary training of the Federal Agency for technical Relief(THW)
8778-437: The first modern fire engine one year earlier. Civil defense Civil defense or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants ) from human-made and natural disasters . It uses the principles of emergency management : prevention , mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation and recovery. Programs of this sort were initially discussed at least as early as
8892-423: The general public. Wardens would also advise survivors of the locations of rest and food centers, and other welfare facilities. Rescue Parties were required to assess and then access bombed-out buildings and retrieve injured or dead people. In addition they would turn off gas , electricity and water supplies , and repair or pull down unsteady buildings. Medical services, including First Aid Parties, provided on
9006-607: The late 17th century, under the direction of artist Jan van der Heyden , who had improved the designs of both fire hoses and fire pumps. The city of Boston, Massachusetts established America's first publicly funded, paid fire department in 1678. Fire insurance made its debut in the American colonies in South Carolina in 1736, but it was Benjamin Franklin who imported the London model of insurance. He established
9120-482: The late 1950s early 1960s, it was estimated that approximately 27 million US citizens would have been saved with civil defense education. At the time, however, the cost of a full-scale civil defense program was regarded as less effective in cost-benefit analysis than a ballistic missile defense ( Nike Zeus ) system, and as the Soviet adversary was increasing their nuclear stockpile , the efficacy of both would follow
9234-412: The main civil defense mission of search and rescue. The CAP also sank two Axis submarines and provided aerial reconnaissance for Allied and neutral merchant ships. In 1946, the Civil Air Patrol was barred from combat by Public Law 79-476 . The CAP then received its current mission: search and rescue for downed aircraft. When the Air Force was created, in 1947, the Civil Air Patrol became the auxiliary of
9348-492: The nation's volunteer fire brigades were united under an umbrella organization, the Rescue Union (Estonian: Päästeliit), also including chimney sweeping, water rescue and similar organizations. In 2021, there were 117 volunteer fire brigades (comprising 62% of all fire brigades) with a total of 2 319 volunteer firemen (comprising around half of Estonian rescue personnel). Volunteer fire brigades are placed in rural areas or
9462-453: The neutral countries, such as Switzerland and in Sweden during the 1950s and 1960s, many civil defense practices took place to prepare for the aftermath of a nuclear war , which seemed quite likely at that time. In the United Kingdom , the Civil Defence Service was disbanded in 1945, followed by the ARP in 1946. With the onset of the growing tensions between East and West , the service
9576-419: The origin of this is obscure. A VFD may be financially supported by taxes raised in a city, town, county, fire district, or other governmental entity, as well as corporate and other private donations, federal grants, and other assistance from auxiliary members, or firefighters' associations. With these funds, the VFD acquires and operates the firefighting apparatus, equips and trains the firefighters, maintains
9690-661: The past, but no others have existed since the disbanding of the Auxiliary Fire Service in 1968. According to the National Fire Protection Association , 54 percent of firefighters in the United States are volunteers. The Volunteer Firefighter Alliance represents Volunteer Firefighters across the U.S. The National Volunteer Fire Council represents fire and emergency services on a national level, providing advocacy, information, resources, and programs to support volunteer first responders. The NVFC includes 49 state-based firefighter associations, such as
9804-612: The protection of all aspects of civilian life. The advent of civil defense was stimulated by the experience of the bombing of civilian areas during the First World War . The bombing of the United Kingdom began on 19 January 1915 when German zeppelins dropped bombs on the Great Yarmouth area, killing six people. German bombing operations of the First World War were surprisingly effective, especially after
9918-516: The public and prospective volunteers to see volunteer firefighters in action while they are participating in the practices. Fire department A fire department ( North American English ) or fire brigade ( Commonwealth English ), also known as a fire company, fire authority , fire district , fire and rescue , or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression services as well as other rescue services. Fire departments are most commonly
10032-481: The rapid availability of some of the department's fire apparatus, with the remaining apparatus staffed and brought to the scene of the emergency by volunteers as soon as they arrive at the department. Larger cities, typically those with 100,000 inhabitants or more, will operate fire departments staffed entirely by career firefighters. However, they also typically have several volunteer fire departments, who are called upon in case of larger emergencies. Municipalities are
10146-759: The recruit to wear special gear or markings (such as a red helmet in some departments) to denote their ranking. Some departments allow (or even require) new recruits to ride along on fire apparatus as observers before undergoing the rigors of further fire training. Firefighters typically progress through formal Fire Fighter I and Fire Fighter II training in accordance with national standards. Specialty training can include wildland firefighting, technical rescue, swift water rescue, hazardous materials response, vehicle extrication, FAST team , fire instructor, fire officer, and others. A VFD may hold an "open house" at their station. The event serves many purposes including demonstration, training, drill, fundraising, and recruitment. There
10260-942: The remainder of the Bush Fire Service Brigades is trained by DFES, but operated and administered by the Council of the associated area. VFRS Brigades are generally more involved in Structural Fire fighting, Asset Protection, and Road Crash Rescue depending on their location, whereas the BFS Brigades are generally more involved in Wildfire Fighting. In Western Australia, there is an estimated 31,000 BFS Members among 585 Brigades, and 2,000 VFRS Members among 88 Brigades. In South Australia, there are two legislated fire fighting organizations. The South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (SAMFS) and
10374-791: The resources of front-line fire brigades are stretched. In Nicaragua , there are three different groups of firefighters, one commanded by the Direccion General de Bomberos 18 fire station, which has government support; the second is commanded by the Federación de Cuerpos de Bomberos de Nicaragua Benemeritos 8 fire station; the third is commanded by the Asociacion civil Cuerpo de BOMBEROS Voluntarios de Nicaragua 24 fire station. Peru's bomberos are all unpaid volunteers that extinguish fires, clear up hazardous materials, provide aid and assistance during natural disasters, and transport
10488-423: The resources that are available including better synergies between humanitarian aid and civil protection". In recent years there has been emphasis on preparedness for technological disasters resulting from terrorist attack. Within EU countries the term "crisis-management" emphasizes the political and security dimension rather than measures to satisfy the immediate needs of the population. In Australia, civil defense
10602-696: The responsibility for all land-based HAZMAT incidents as well as inland waterway-based HAZMAT incidents. The NSWRFS is the volunteer firefighting service in NSW and consists of over 70,000 volunteers and has responsibility for over 90% of the land area in NSW. Although most of this is bush and grassland, the NSWRFS also serves smaller and regional communities that are not covered by Fire and Rescue NSW. In Victoria, there are three main fire fighting organizations, Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board ( MFB ), Country Fire Authority ( CFA ) and The Department of Environment, Water, Land, and Planning ( DEWLP ). The CFA
10716-908: The same purpose located near major railheads such as the ones in Denton, Texas and Mount Weather , Virginia. Other measures would include continual government inventories of grain silos, the Strategic National Stockpile , the uncapping of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve , the dispersal of lorry-transportable bridges, water purification, mobile refineries, mobile de-contamination facilities, mobile general and special purpose disaster mortuary facilities such as Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) and DMORT-WMD , and other aids such as temporary housing to speed civil recovery. On an individual scale, one means of preparation for exposure to nuclear fallout
10830-448: The satellite areas of cities and towns. On smaller islands such as Naissaar or Abruka , the volunteer fire brigades are the only rescue brigades. In a few cases, volunteer brigades are attached to national ones. Due to being placed in primarily rural areas, they are often the first to arrive at the scene. Volunteer organizations are funded through support via the national or local municipal budget, companies and donations. In Finland ,
10944-427: The sick to hospitals, in a 150-year tradition. Citizens apply to enter a training program they must pay for with their own money. During training sessions, they are taught how to put out fires, provide first aid, and use specialized equipment. Upon successful completion of the program, they enter a probation period where they have to prove they are capable of dealing with real-life emergencies. Volunteer fire services in
11058-477: The spot medical assistance. The expected stream of information that would be generated during an attack was handled by 'Report and Control' teams. A local headquarters would have an ARP controller who would direct rescue, first aid and decontamination teams to the scenes of reported bombing. If local services were deemed insufficient to deal with the incident then the controller could request assistance from surrounding boroughs . Fire Guards were responsible for
11172-582: The staff consists only of volunteers. The members of these departments are usually on-call 24/7 and working in other professions. The alarm can be performed by different alarm systems, such as by sirens or pager sometimes combined with an app on the mobile phone. In Germany, the alarm via radio pager is on the frequencies of the BOS radio. In Austria, the fire departments have their own frequencies. In medium-sized cities and communities, fire departments will often be partially staffed by career firefighters. They ensure
11286-600: The state and regulatory authority. The level and type of basic and specialty training vary across the country. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has several published standards for firefighter qualifications and training, including Standard for Fire Service Professional Qualifications Accreditation and Certification Systems, and Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications. These standards apply to both volunteer and career firefighters. New members are referred to as "recruits," "rookies," "probies" (short for "probationary"), or even "red hats" in some departments that require
11400-435: The support of volunteer fire departments. Additional funding may include, for example, contributions from support organizations, donations made in fundraising, or income from various events. While wholly volunteer fire departments are mostly found in rural and remote areas of Canada, "composite" departments composed of both career and volunteer or "call" firefighters can be found in more urbanized municipalities. For example, in
11514-514: The umbrella fire organization in the Republic of Slovenia and has been a member of CTIF since 1992. There are over 165000 members in 1341 volunteer fire brigades. In the United Kingdom , it is standard for smaller, rural stations to be staffed by retained firefighters , part-time firefighters who are paid for attending incidents and for spending long periods of time on-call known as a retainer fee. A few fire services have volunteer units, including
11628-445: The upkeep of local public shelters, and the maintenance of the blackout . The ARP also helped rescue people after air raids and other attacks, and some women became ARP Ambulance Attendants whose job was to help administer first aid to casualties, search for survivors, and in many grim instances, help recover bodies, sometimes those of their own colleagues. As the war progressed, the military effectiveness of Germany's aerial bombardment
11742-488: The very large expense. For whatever reason, the public saw efforts at civil defense as fundamentally ineffective against the powerful destructive forces of nuclear weapons, and therefore a waste of time and money, although detailed scientific research programs did underlie the much-mocked government civil defense pamphlets of the 1950s and 1960s. The Civil Defence Corps was stood down in Great Britain in 1968 due to
11856-592: The world in which all firefighters are unpaid. The local fire departments are part of the National Board of Firefighters ( Junta Nacional de Bomberos ). There are 1,768 volunteer fire departments in Croatia, as well as 33 units of what is officially called "volunteer fire department in economy". Some Croatian volunteer fire departments include: The first volunteer fire team in Estonia was created in 1788 by
11970-615: Was a Corps Authority, as were most county boroughs in England and Wales and large burghs in Scotland . Each division was divided into several sections, including the Headquarters, Intelligence and Operations, Scientific and Reconnaissance, Warden & Rescue, Ambulance and First Aid and Welfare. In 1954 Coventry City Council caused international controversy when it announced plans to disband its Civil Defence committee because
12084-412: Was established. Under the system, a few primary stations would be alerted of an emergency and would broadcast an alert. All broadcast stations throughout the country would be constantly listening to an upstream station and repeat the message, thus passing it from station to station. In a once classified US war game analysis, looking at varying levels of war escalation, warning and pre-emptive attacks in
12198-621: Was formed in Ancient Rome by Marcus Egnatius Rufus who used his slaves to provide a free fire service. These men fought fires using bucket chains and also patrolled the streets with the authority to impose corporal punishment upon those who violated fire-prevention codes. The Emperor Augustus established a public fire department in 24 BCE, composed of 600 slaves distributed amongst seven fire stations in Rome. Fire departments were again formed by property insurance companies beginning in
12312-592: Was founded in 1824, and he is now regarded, along with Van der Heyden, as one of founders of modern firefighting. The LFEE then was incorporated into the city's Metropolitan Fire Brigade in 1865 under Eyre Massey Shaw . In 1879, the University of Notre Dame established the first University-based fire department in the United States. The first motorized fire department was organized in 1906 in Springfield, Massachusetts , where Knox Automobile had developed
12426-479: Was lower than the earlier 121 casualties per ton prediction. However, in comparison, Allied strategic bombing of Germany during the war proved slightly less lethal than what was observed in the UK, with an estimated 400,000-600,000 German civilian fatalities for approximately 1.35 million tons of bombs dropped on Germany, an estimated resulting rate therefore of 0.30-0.44 civilian fatalities per ton of bombs dropped. In
12540-548: Was made over the issue of air-raid shelters , because of the apparently irreconcilable conflict between the need to send the public underground for shelter and the need to keep them above ground for protection against gas attacks. In February 1936 the Home Secretary appointed a technical Committee on Structural Precautions against Air Attack. During the Munich crisis , local authorities dug trenches to provide shelter. After
12654-477: Was revived in 1949 as the Civil Defence Corps . As a civilian volunteer organization, it was tasked to take control in the aftermath of a major national emergency, principally envisaged as being a Cold War nuclear attack . Although under the authority of the Home Office , with a centralized administrative establishment, the corps was administered locally by Corps Authorities. In general every county
12768-413: Was shifted from nuclear war to an "all-hazards" approach of comprehensive emergency management . Natural disasters and the emergence of new threats such as terrorism have caused attention to be focused away from traditional civil defense and into new forms of civil protection such as emergency management and homeland security . Many countries maintain a national Civil Defence Corps, usually having
12882-582: Was the Corps of Vigiles , established in ancient Rome in 6 AD. The first volunteer fire department in Argentina was Bomberos Voluntarios de La Boca (La Boca Volunteer Firemen) founded on June 2, 1884, by Italian immigrant Tomas Liberti in the neighborhood of La Boca , Buenos Aires . June 2 is the Day of Volunteer Firefighters. The Argentina Federation of Volunteer Firefighters was founded in 1954. In 2018, 80% of
12996-726: Was very limited. Thanks to the Luftwaffe's shifting aims, the strength of British air defenses, the use of early warning radar in combination with the Royal Observer Corps , and the life-saving actions of local civil defense units, the aerial "Blitz" during the Battle of Britain failed to break the morale of the British people, destroy the Royal Air Force or significantly hinder British industrial production. Despite
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