Fire Brigade Responsibilities

• Fire brigades are responsible for more than just putting out fires. Front view of an old fire truck in front of a fire station image by Alexey Stiop from Fotolia.com

  The responsibilities of the fire brigade encompass far more than just the widely known role of fire response and emergency rescue. In addition to their regular duties, some fire brigades also take an active role in the community through fire prevention and safety training and building inspections. Some fire brigades also handle the disposal of hazardous materials by hosting drop-off locations, and even provide miscellaneous community services such as testing the effectiveness of diabetic citizens' blood glucose monitors.

Firefighting and Emergency Response Duties

• Firefighters train extensively to efficiently respond to fires in a way that minimizes property damage and protects the public from physical harm. Often a part of this firefighter training is hands-on practical training on burning test ranges. Firefighters practice a variety of scenarios, such as saving incapacitated victims, and fire containment, which is particularly important for dealing with large building fires. In areas with rivers or lakes, water rescue often becomes the responsibility of the local fire brigade, and in cities with harbors, special waterborne firefighting boats are often employed. Fire brigades are also responsible for responding to hazardous material spills in and around their locations as well as occasionally assisting nearby towns and cities in cases where local response teams are overwhelmed.

Preventative Fire Safety Programs and Inspections

• Some fire brigades offer targeted programs for both youth and adults in order to train citizens about potential fire-safety hazards. The training program geared to children might include such topics as safe behavior in the kitchen, and why playing with matches and lighters or electrical outlets is dangerous. Programs geared to adults often focus on preventing less common types of dangers, such as electrical fires due to overloading home circuits, and watching for symptoms of damage in home appliances such as frayed wiring. Fire brigades also occasionally host specific training seminars for citizens who routinely work with hazardous materials, such as gasoline, propane and a host of others. Building fire code inspection is another part of the responsibilities of the fire brigade, since ensuring that buildings are up to safety regulations can play a vital role in the preservation of life should fire ever take place in that building. Property owners often welcome inspection of new buildings since fire inspections help to confirm the quality of work done by building contractors.

Hazardous Material Drop Off and Other Community Services

• Hazardous materials such as dead batteries and used motor oil, as well as paints, varnishes and other chemicals used in construction, can pose a risk both to people and to the local ecological system. Fire brigades offer drop-off sites for these materials to not only keep them out of the hands of children and reduce their chance of being exposed to fire-causing conditions, but to also keep these substances out of local waterways and aquifers in order to protect the health of everyone.