An unannounced fitness test for firefighters ended with a medical intervention. Six of the 11 exercisers felt unwell, two of whom were taken to hospital. They are now home, and the command is investigating what happened.
The exercises at the Rescue and Firefighting Unit 2 in Poznań took place on Saturday morning. As Marcin Tecław, spokesman for the State Fire Service in Poznań, told us, it was an inspection of combat readiness. – These are unexpected exercises to verify the condition of firefighters and improve it. They can be ordered by various institutions from above, but also by the unit commander, and that was the case here, he explained.
The exercises took place outdoors, and the firefighters were probably not wearing gas masks, which are the most burdensome in this profession. – They were supposed to administer foam to designated places. Like every guard task, it required physical effort, says Tecław.
During the exercise, six of the 11 firefighters reported feeling unwell. They were given medical assistance on site. Four were advised to contact their family doctor. Two, aged 30 and 31, were sent straight to hospital. – Currently, all six are at home, they have been advised to rest – Tecław said.
The matter will be investigated internally by a team specially appointed by the commander.
The unit is functioning normally. Other firefighters from home duty were called to replace the indisposed firefighters.