Fire Engines Photos

Fire Engine Photos

 No: 4406   Contributor: Konrad Nowak   Year: 2006   Manufacturer: Iveco   Country: Poland

305[W]51 SD-30 Iveco Magirus Warsaw, Poland

This 30m (100 ft.) Iveco Magirus EuroFire turntable ladder is stationed at Warsaws State Fire Service Fire and Rescue Unit 5 (Praga-Północ, in the centre of right-bank part of the city). There are 2 ladders of this type in Warsaw (the other one at JRG-9 Mokotów).

Equipment carried includes:

- a hand operated combi hydraulic rescue tool;
- 2 BA sets;
- R-1 first aid set;
- 30m W-75 (75mm hose) + a small supply of regular hose, branches, etc.;
- Partner steel & concrete saw;
- Husquarna chainsaw;
- power generator;
- lighting equipment;
- rope rescue equipment.

The vehicle is manned by 2 firefighters.

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The predecessor of the State Fire Service Fire and Rescue Unit 5, the Unit 5 of the WSO (Warsaw Fire Brigade) was established in 1878, in a period when Poland did not exist as a state and Warsaw was the second largest city of Russia, for it was the Russian occupation zone where it ended up after the Partitions of Poland. The 19th Century units were easy to tell apart on the street, thanks to assigning horses of specific colours to each station. In addition, green banners were installed on the hand pumps and carts of Unit 5. Today, black and olive green are the official colours of the station and all its equipment is marked with them. Following the Second World War, the Warsaw Fire Brigade was constantly expanding its rescue capabilities and the Water Rescue Group was established in 1969. Station 5 was its home ever since.

The stations vehicles are as follows:

305-21: GBAt 2/34 Renault Midlum rescue pump;
305-22: GBA 2,5/30 Renault Midlum ; pump/water tender;
305-25: GCBA 5/32 MAN ; heavy pump/tanker;
305-26: GCBA 8,2/32 Tatra ; heavy tanker (soon to be replaced);
305-35: GCPr-3000 Jelcz ; heavy dry powder tender;
305-51: SD-30 30m (100 ft.) turntable ladder;
305-71: SRw MAN ; water rescue/diving unit;
305-73: SRw Jelcz ; boat transport/diving unit;
305-81: SKw ; auxiliary truck;
305-90: SLOp ; unit commander’s car;
305-91: SLRr ; minibus;

The station also houses a few boats and trailers. Unit 5s rescue cutter is moored at the adjacent Praga Port.

To do their job effectively within their staff limitations, the crew of JRG-5 came up with their own dispatch procedures for specific incidents, for instance:

Traffic accident;: 305-21 (rescue pump), 305-22 (pump/water tender)
;Fire : 305-22 (pump/water tender), 305-25 (pump/tanker) and either 305-51 (turntable ladder) or 305-26 (the heavy Tatra tanker).

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The above description was written in close co-operation with Mateusz Czajkowski.