On-site Fire Brigade in Grupa Azoty SA

On-site Fire Brigade in Grupa Azoty SA

Jacek ZAPART* – Grupa Azoty S.A.
Please cite as: CHEMIK 2015, 69, 4, 213–216
Only few fire protection units in Poland are so closely related
to Polish chemistry as the On-site Fire Brigade in Grupa Azoty S.A.
Its existence as a part of structure of the State Nitrogen Compounds
Factory in Tarnów dates back to 1929. From the very beginning of the
Plant operation, there was an awareness of important role that is played by Fire service for protection of complex and dangerous chemical
manufacturing processes in continuous process industry. It is worth
mentioning, that the State Nitrogen Compounds Factory in Tarnów
was the first Polish plant constructed in the country after regaining
the independence. The simultaneously formed Fire Brigade faced great
challenges: it was supposed to not only fight fire, but also to protect
factory and its property. In the late 1930, the On-site Factory Brigade
employed approx. 60 people, commended in the years 1929–1945
by firefighting major Kazimierz Łabno.
Fire brigade , the years of the 30th twentieth century
Interbellum records present many examples of selfless service of
fire-fighters, i.a. in April 1934 in small timber storage the wall has caught fire, causing dangerous fire and explosion of materials stored there
(oxygen cylinders, gasoline, kerosene and oil). Fire-fighters intervention has successfully stopped fire spreading. Similarly on 26th December 1937 daring action of the fire brigade prevented the tragedy just
outside the factory gates, where the fire was early extinguished in the
Corresponding author:
Jacek ZAPART, e-mail: [email protected]
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building of the women’s branch of the Riflemen’s Association (Związek
Strzelecki), which neighboured State police station, detention ward,
laundry and nursery.
During the WWII, the Nazi occupier kept fire brigade in the factory.
After the War, the Fire Brigade maintained its status as a part of factory
structures; from 1945 to 1976 (for the longest duration in Tarnów plant
history) Commander of the On-site Fire Brigade was a deputy of Kazimierz Łabno, ff col. Bolesław Kornaus. The consecutive commanders
of the On-site Fire Brigade were: ff pplk (lieutenant colonel) Wiesław
Gabryś, ff pplk (lieutenant colonel) Eng. Stanisław Stawecki, ff major
Eng. Stanisław Boruch.
In the postwar years, there were not only cases of so-called technical ignitions, but also cases of very severe fires and explosions. In 1975
– explosion in ammonia compressor hall IV, in December 1985 – fire
in storage room of caprolactam, in August 1988 loss of containment
of distillation column and fire of vinyl chloride distillation system, in
July 1990 explosion in ammonium sulphate line. In all the events, quick
rescue action was taken by firefighters from the On-site Fire Brigade
reducing maximum devastation and limiting fire spreading. It is hard
to overestimate the proximity of the operation and the in-house fire
service competence.
In 1991, as a result of regime and legislation changes, the National
Fire Service was established, that excluded from its On-site Professional
Fire Brigades, that were transformed from this moment into On-site
Fire Services or On-site Rescue Services. And although these changes
were motivated by savings for the state budget and transferring costs
of fire protection units upkeep to economic entities, industrial plants
fundamentally always bore the full costs of operation of these units.
The changes introduced in the Polish Fire-fighting system after 1991
do not help in operation of fire protection units in industry. This applies
among others to issues related to obtaining professional qualification,
retirement, etc. Many units were reclassified into commercial law
companies. Similar attempts (to separate it from the plant structures)
occurred also for the On-site Fire-fighting Brigade in Zakłady Azotowe
Tarnów-Mościce. Many years of tradition, experience of fire-fighters,
support of staff and trade unions have made the Board of the plant
to keep On-Site Firefighting Brigade in the Company structure.
For 3 years (2004 – 2007) at the Zakłady Azotowe in the gatehouse
of the On-site Fire Brigade, along with the On-site Fire Brigade, the
Firefighting and Rescue unit No. 2 of the National Fire Service in
Tarnów was stationed. In 2007, the firefighters from this unit moved
to a new headquarters in the north part of the city.
For several years ZSP is operating steadily as a part of the structures
of the Company. Since 2010, responsibilities of the On-site Fire Brigade
have grown by the tasks taken over from the Chemical Rescue Unit (Jednostka Ratownictwa Chemicznego Sp. z o.o.) related to chemical rescue,
and since 2013 the Brigade supervises and is responsible for chemical
rescuers and Department Rescue Groups at the site of Grupa Azoty S.A.
The main task of the On-site Fire Brigade in Grupa Azoty S.A. is to perform rescue actions specified in the Fire Protection Act. Next to operational actions, numerous trainings and exercises, the ZSP firefighters
take also care of prevention, development of internal operation-rescue
plans, inspection of handheld fire-fighting equipment, repairs and maintenance of respiratory protection systems, securing fire-risk works
and measurements of environmental impact. The ZPS is also an inte-
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technique • market
On-site Fire Brigade in Grupa Azoty S.A.
technique • market
tection established by Board of Grupa Azoty (since April 2013). The
team consists of fire protection units of Grupa Azoty. On-site Fire Brigade of Grupa Azoty S.A., On-site Fire Brigade of Grupa Azoty Puławy,
On-site Fire Brigade of Grupa Azoty Police, On-site Rescue Service of
Grupa Azoty ZAK, On-site Rescue Service of Grupa Azoty Siarkopol,
Mine Rescue Station Siarkopol. The team has already significant achievements that include development of selection strategy in scope of
qualitative and quantitative equipment of units of Grupa Azoty with
foaming extinguishing agents, unification of graphic signs used by fire
protection units in Grupa Azoty, adoption of the Rules of Uniforms and
establishing CERGA (Centre for Education in Rescue of Grupa Azoty)
operating based on the infrastructure of the On-Site Fire Brigade in Puławy. Moreover, tasks of the team involve unification of training process
for all fire fighters and chemical rescuers in Grupa Azoty and creating
platform for experience exchange.
The On-Site Fire Brigade in Grupa Azoty S.A. employs 44 fire fighters, its current Commander is firefighting senior captain, Stanisław Jachimek. Firefighters are on a duty according to 24/48h shift system. The
ZSP at its disposal has three heavy water-foam fire engines GCBAPr
10/60/1000, GCBA 9/32, GCBA 13/48, special fire engine with carbon
dioxide extinguisher -GSN 5000, light chemical rescue vehicle SLRCH
and two operational vehicles. In the recent years, the ZSP has retrofitted with the chemical rescue equipment. Guardhouse is gradually
renovated, while fire fighters improve their professional qualifications
and better serve their plants. The unit closely cooperates with the
National Fire Service, helping the city and Tarnów citizens.
Historical background was prepared by Robert Lichwała and he agreed to be
used in this publication.
Help in obtaining materials for article and a good word – Lucyna Bielatowicz
and Katarzyna Jarząb.
Tactical and combat exercises
*Jacek Zapart - Specjalista ds. Zapobiegania Pożarom Zakładowa
Straż Pożarna Grupa Azoty S.A.
e-mail: [email protected]
Nowy prezes Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Nowego prezesa Polskiej Akademii Nauk wybrali członkowie
Zgromadzenia Ogólnego PAN. Jerzy Duszyński funkcję będzie
pełnił cztery lata, do 2018 r. Zastąpi na stanowisku prof. Michała Kleibera.
Prof. Jerzy Duszyński (ur. w 1949 r.) jest biochemikiem, pracuje
w Instytucie Biologii Doświadczalnej im. M.Nenckiego w War(from the left) David Prosowicz, Paweł Piątek, Kazimierz Stachowicz
- lifeguard drivers; Jacek Zapart - specialist fire prevention; kneeling
holding cup driver Jacek Mękarski lifeguard
szawie. Pełni obowiązki dziekana Wydziału II Nauk Biologicznych i Rolniczych PAN. W latach 2008–2009 był podsekretarzem stanu w Ministerstwie Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego
rvention unit within the SPOT system. In 2014, along with group of
SPOT specialists, has participated in emergency transshipment of rail
tanker containing 98% nitric acid. An important achievement is the first
place won by the On-site Fire Brigade team in the First Competition
of Chemical Industry Rescue Services in Puławy in 2014. The On-site
Fire Brigade of Grupa Azoty S.A. participates in the Team for Fire Pro-
216 •
w gabinecie Donalda Tuska. Nowy prezes PAN jest specjalistą
w dziedzinie metabolizmu energetycznego i molekularnych
podstaw chorób mitochondrialnych i neurodegeneracyjnych.
(kk) http://www.tvn24.pl, 19.03.2015
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