This weekend, the first defence training in piloting was held in military units across Poland. On-going programme. We were on the endurance course at the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade. endurance elements, fire protection, emergency behavior, first aid – this was a powerful dose of cognition that could prove valuable at any time.
Cool Saturday morning, the city is just waking up. Meanwhile, at the gate of the 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade a stir. In little than an hour, endurance classes are scheduled to begin there as part of the pilot edition of the Universal Voluntary Defence Training Programme “On Standby”. A soldier on work at the office of passes checks on the list of volunteers (including myself) who have come to the unit to gain cognition and at the same time become a "search material" for their training military instructors. Experience gained during the 4-week pilotage will be utilized to plan a training mark programme that the Ministry of Defence will start next year.
After the formalities are completed, we get into military trucks, which take us to the appeal square. We are greeted by Colonel Renart Skrzypczak, commander of 1 WBPanc and Captain Jacek Piotrowski, the unit's press spokesman. We want to show you the military and the 1st Armoured Brigade. We besides want to teach you many interesting, useful things. It is besides an component of creating attitudes, your trust in the army," says the commander of the “One Armoured.” “You have the best instructors here who want to give you knowledge, so ask them questions to get the most out of this training”, he adds. Captain Piotrowski tells us that more than 500 volunteers have volunteered for our training. The organizers were prepared for 100 volunteers, but yet 60 people appeared, who were divided into 4 15-person groups. “You are not only here to gain very valuable knowledge, but besides to have fun,” says the spokesman.
Practical Science
My group begins the course with the elements of field studies and endurance at the FORT SERE. The first fire is the discipline of utilizing the bushel and determining with it the azimuth. To me, it's a refresh of my skills. In fact, as I have seen, there are quite a few people who have already had experience with this subject, whether as part of the "Train with the Army" task or the basic military service. In any case, the full group is able to cope with the tasks assigned by the instructor.
A somewhat more complicated thing, at least for me, was to light a fire with a flint. In addition to this, a part of birch bark is needed, from which we scrape respective layers with the knife. The chips thus obtained are easy handled with fire. At first, I have a problem with sparks. It turns out that you gotta rub 1 part of the flint against the another at the right angle and do so with a decisive move. It's not art to make the chips light up. To pass the task, you request to hold fire for at least 15 seconds, adding tiny pieces of wood to it. After a fewer attempts it yet works and my part of bark deals with a beautiful, respective centimetres advanced flame.
In this module of classes we besides learn what should include an evacuation backpack. – Basic endurance kit, tiny hatchet, thermal foil, rain poncho, flint, knife, hygienic kit, watertight bag for papers – the teacher mentions. It besides highlights the request for disinfectants and patches. Under "partisan" conditions, it is easy to get an infection that can be fatal.
Next is water filtration. Turns out the best way to clear it is to boil. It can be done even in a plastic bottle, putting it in a fire. The bottle won't melt and the water will boil. It can besides be a glass bottle and even a can," says the instructor. The alleged tube of life, through which you can drink even water from a puddle, is besides perfect for obtaining water for drinking.
At the end of this module, the teacher discusses the construction of a single-fall shelter, which can be made from branches and moss or a patch. I don't believe that you can spend a cold November night in the woods in specified a hut. But that's why there's a thick layer of moss inside to keep it well isolated from the ground, as well as a fire set about a metre from the shelter to keep it warm. However, remember to build a screen that protects the hut and the bonfire from the wind.
My group completes classes at Fort SERE and after a break moves on to another teaching post in which the subject of the class is fire protection. First, we learn about the types of fire extinguishers and how they work. An teacher from the Military Fire Department besides explains what can be applied to the ad hoc protection of the airways if found in a smoke region (well moistened cotton materials are best suited). It besides instructs how to decision in it – along the wall, low on the ground, remembering the rule of 3 points of support: the ft of the leg that we survey in front of us, the knee of the second leg, the hand. – As a rule, everyone knows what the layout of rooms in the home or workplace is, but in smoke 1 can lose orientation and find themselves on the stairs – he says.
Firemen besides showed how burning oil behaves in the pan erstwhile we effort to extinguish it with water. A immense pillar of fire blows out of a vessel with momentum. Then another show – this time the correct extinguishing of specified ignition. You should cut off oxygen by throwing a decently moistened thicker material, specified as a towel, on a burning pan.
Again, a short break and we go to another teaching point where alarm signals and rules of conduct are to be discussed after their announcement. Here we learn that only 2 types of alarms be in Poland – an announcement and an appeal. – The sound of a fire siren should be distinguished from that which signals an alarm to the public. The sound of specified a siren always takes 3 minutes and is modulated. The alarm can besides be announced in a graphic form – it will be a yellow equilateral triangle with a side of 50 cm, it can besides be a graphics placed in the media. The cancellation of the alarm besides takes 3 minutes, and this is simply a continuous sound – the teacher explains and indicates what should be done in case of an alarm. – First pull out the telephone and check the RCB alerts. The alarm will be described in detail. We must besides perceive to messages in public space. As you already know what the alarm is, you should take care of things like documents, take the medicine you take permanently and then go to your shelter. Remember besides the water, due to the fact that you do not know how long you will come to stay in the shelter," he says. An component of this module was besides the presentation of the OPL shelter and the discipline of putting on a gas mask.
For the last module – first aid – there is not much time left. If individual is curious in more information in this respect, they should study for the specially developed "On-the-Ready" training module. In my endurance course, we only learn the basics. In concise words, the teacher explained how to execute circulatory-respiration resuscitation (each associate could practice this on the phantom) and how to connect the defibrillator. At the end of the survey of curing bleeding with a tourniquet – and it was possible to go to a well-deserved military pea. Each associate besides received a certificate, safety guide and first aid kit.
To act consciously
Why did I decide to take part in endurance training under the Ready? First of all, due to the fact that I think that you never know erstwhile the crisis will come, so it is worth being prepared for all eventuality to know what to do and not panic if you request to. As 1 teacher stated, cognition can save lives. – You are already more aware than the remainder of society, as your presence here proves – he stressed. I think most of the participants in the training came from a akin assumption. What made me here? Above all, the situation in Europe. I felt that we had to prepare ourselves in any way, and as shortly as the program “In readiness” appeared, without hesitation I enrolled immediately,” says Urszula from Józefów. The planned defence training for civilians became curious as shortly as the Prime Minister announced it a fewer months ago, and she learned about the launch of the pilot after accidentally getting on Facebook on the broadcast of the inaugural conference. – I am very pleased, I will definitely sign up for the remaining 3 training blocks – she declares and admits that the most applicable for her was learning at the FORT SERE and the first premed aid. Jacek, who came from Ząbek, considers fire protection as the most interesting component of the training. I never had a chance to put out a fire, so it was fun for me. I was besides curious about how what we learned here is shown by soldiers, not people on YouTube. Overall impressions very positive, human approach to participants, everything well organized – it blooms.
