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Description

The work of firefighters is aimed at improving people's safety conditions, acting preventively in public spaces, dealing with emergencies to protect and save lives, extinguishing fires, carrying out rescues and drawing up civil protection plans, special plans, risk maps to reinforce safety in buildings, equipment and facilities.

Consequently, firefighters are qualified to manage serious rescue and relief situations, such as extinguishing fires, rescuing people and dealing with emergency situations, such as accidents or environmental disasters. They work in close coordination with the health services and the security forces when required and usually as an emergency.

In the case of Catalonia, the fire department carries out the functions of fire prevention and extinguishing, and rescue services assigned to the Government of Catalonia and coordinates its services throughout the territory except in the city of Barcelona, which has its own fire department. Thus, firefighters intervene in all types of emergencies with the aim of neutralising the situation of danger and its consequences: firs, landslides and floods in buildings, home or in nature, hurricanes and other disasters, rescues in very diverse areas such as mountains, water, homes, railway infrastructures, rescue of people trapped in traffic accidents, interventions in situations of personal risk such as suicide attempts, removal of dangerous elements, etc. They also work on operational prevention, both to minimise the risk of accidents and to be better prepared in the event of an accident.

The means and tools with which they work are diverse and essential to carry out their work correctly. These means include vehicles equipped with water or foam for cases where water cannot be used; aerial means (fixed-wing aircrafts, firefighters) or rotary-wing (bomber or command helicopters); hoses, ladder trucks, personal protective equipment (PPE), and all kinds of tools adapted to current uses and technologies.

Traditionally, fire departments were born out of the need to extinguish fires in urban areas but have evolved to be able to deal with any emergency that involves a risk to the lives of people and/or property and goods.

Tasks

According to Law 5/1994, 4 May, to regulate prevention, extinction and rescue services in Catalonia, the functions of the fire department are:
  • To extinguish fires and, and in the case of any accident or emergency, to act in order to minimise damage, both personal and material, within the territorial context of its competence.
  • To carry out prevention activities in order to avoid or reduce the risk of fires and accidents, within the framework of specific regulations for each area. Among these activities, in municipalities without municipal fire prevention and extinction services, they are responsible for informing on new construction, renovation or activity projects, and to inspect establishments and public buildings in order to determine compliance with fire prevention regulations.
  • To study and investigate techniques, installations and systems for protection against fires related to specific regulations in this area.
  • To intervene in civil protection operations and draw up the respective action plans of the fire-fighting services.
  • To intervene in maritime rescue operations, if required by the competent authorities.
  • To intervene in water and mountain rescue operations and in mountain rescue.
  • To investigate and analyse accidents in which they are involved in order to report the causes and consequences of the accident and the damage caused.
  • To carry out information and training activities for the general public aimed at limiting the causes and consequences of fires and accidents and to increase citizens¿ self-protection.

Quick access and copyright:

Centre per al desenvolupament professional Porta22

Barcelona Treball (Porta22)
Llacuna, 156-162, 08018 Barcelona
bcn.cat/treball

900533175
Monday to Friday from 9 to 18 h

Generalitat de Catalunya
Unió Europea FEDER
Unió Europea FSE