4. Answer the following questions.

1. When is an emergency or heavy rescue tender required?

2. What does a breathing set provide?

3. What allows fire crews to see through the thickest smoke?

4. What equipment is used to effect rescues from the most difficult and challenging situations?

5. What types of suits do firefighters use?

5. Tell your speech partner about safety and cutting equipment used by fire brigades. Text 10 training procedures

1. Look through the text. Find and write out new words into your copybook.

2. Read the words in bold, if necessary consult a dictionary. Translate them into Russian.

3. Read and translate the text.

Usually brigades are staffed by full-time professional firemen and part-time retained firemen. Professional recruits attend an intensive basic course that includes theoretical work, study and plenty of practical drill. The latter involves learning how to handle virtually every item of firefighting and rescue equipment - fire pumps, hose, ladders, extinguishers, lighting, knots and lines, resuscitators, cutting and lifting gear and a range of other items. Recruits also have to qualify in advanced first aid and casualty-handling techniques.

Once recruits have satisfactorily completed the basic training they are ready to become part of an operational firefighting and rescue unit for a probationary period. They will ride a fire engine as crew members and gain experience from the wide range of incidents they attend. Ongoing training continues throughout a firefighter's career, and in order to maintain strength and stamina most have access to fitness-training equipment, which is often provided at their fire stations.

Breathing-set training is critical for all firemen, as there are few structural fire situations where sets are not worn. Personal breathing sets enable firefighters to survive and work in thick, choking smoke. Regular training in the use of this crucial piece of equipment is carried out inside a special building that is often attached to the fire station. Incorporating several floors, the building can be fitted with a number of different and varying obstacles and hazards. It can also be heated to create a humid atmosphere and filled with cosmetic-smoke. Crews undergoing training are given objectives such as the location of a 'body' or other simulated casualty, during which they must exercise all the safety and control features of breathing-set operation.

4. Answer the following questions.

1. What kind of firemen are brigades staffed by?

2. What do professional recruits attend?

3. What does an intensive basic course include?

4. What does practical drill consist of?

5. How do recruits gain experience?

5. Imagine you are a recruit. Tell your group mates about your training procedures.

Chapter II. TEXTS FOR ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Text 1

Evacuation Procedures

Fire and evacuation alarms are intended to alert building occupants that a fire or other life-threatening situation exists. Upon hearing the alarm, everyone should leave the building immediately. In the event of a fire, the following steps should be taken to ensure the safety of all building occupants.

1. Activate the fire alarm. In the event of a fire or any emergency requiring building evacuation, it is essential to activate the nearest fire alarm pull station or to verbally notify building occupants if the building is not equipped with a fire alarm system.

2. Call 01. Telephone 01 and give your name, location, nature of the emergency and telephone number. This call should be made immediately, even if the fire alarm has already been activated.

3. Assist injured personnel. Inform emergency responders or 01 about the nature of the medical emergency. If properly trained, assist with first aid or evacuation.

4. Exit the building. At the sound of a fire alarm, all building occupants should proceed to the nearest exit and leave the building immediately. During pre-emergency planning, all occupants should learn two evacuation routes from each building area.

5. Assist physically impaired individuals. Physically impaired individuals should be given assistance to a secure area, such as a large stairwell or an office separated from a corridor by a fire door. Emergency personnel must be notified of their locations. Each supervisor should be aware of any physically impaired persons in their work areas and any special assistance needed to safely evacuate them.

6. Ensure all personnel are out of the building. Ensure all personnel are out of the immediate area. If there is time and no present danger, close all doors and windows while evacuating.

7. Do not use the elevators. Elevators may lose power during a fire. If elevators are working during a fire emergency, their use is reserved for emergency response personnel only.

8. Extinguish small fires. If the fire is small and you know how to use a fire extinguisher, attempt to extinguish the fire yourself. Do not attempt to extinguish any fire if there is a threat to your safety.

9. Report hazardous conditions. If you are working in a research area and have sufficient time, ensure that the lab and experiments are in safe condition before leaving the area. Report any hazardous conditions to responding emergency personnel.

10. Stay low. If confronted with smoke, keep near the floor. Smoke, heat and toxic gases will normally rise to the ceiling. All closed doors should be checked for heat prior to opening. If a door knob is hot, the door should not be opened.

11. Stay away from the building until it is safe to return. Do not reenter the building until advised to do so by the authorities.

(http://www.ehs.iastate.edu/publications/manuals/fireguide.pdf)