Heroes around us

An interview to a contemporary hero: fire chief Tomáš Kohut (father of the student).

1. Did you want to be a fireman when
you were a child?

3. Which fire intervention was the
most unforgettable for you?

Yes, I’ve wanted to be a fireman since I was 8. Firstly, I was in a group of young firemen called Požárníci. At the age of 18 I became a part of professional firemen as a commander. Few years later I became a part of professional firemen of our village.

To be honest, the most of our interventions are connected to car crashes which mostly end tragically. One car accident of two lorries which looked really terrible for the first time ended without any injury. Those accidents are unforgettable for me.

2. Which intervention you deal
with the most?

4. Have you ever been scared
of your life?

Firemen have to be able to fight the fire, give first aid or provide technical first aid. In view of the fact that the motorway goes next to our village, we have to help to solve car crashes, where we give first aid or technical first aid too. We help people to pump off water from their houses too.

Well, it’s natural to have fear. The fear protects you and helps you to take responsibility of your life. The fear helps you to be more vigilant and react adequately for any possibility to get injured.

5. Is it necessary to be in good physical
condition for your job?

7. Can you describe the cooperation
with our school?

The complete gear of fireman weights 22kg, so it’s necessary to be in good health and physical condition. Younger firemen have no problem to keep in good physical condition, older one have wild range of experiences, so it’s good to interconnect both experiences and physical condition

We love to cooperate with school and kinder-gardens. Usually we show to children our technic and explain them how does it work. We do exhibitions for school too. Usually we fight with fire (mostly is it car or tires in fire). We show to children first aid or we realize alarm exercises for school. We really enjoy to work with schools.

6. Do you attend any firemen competitions?
Which award you appreciate the most?

Our teams of women, children and youth are successful in Firemen competition where is necessary to aim with flow of water on target. Next famous competition where we are successful is TFA (Toughest Firefighter Alive). We organize own competition Karpatský šerpa. There is aim to run with load from our Fire station to mountain Skalka. I appreciate all of our successes because everyone who tries the competition gets new experiences, learns new skills and maybe become fireman too in future life.

An interview to a contemporary hero: member of the mountain rescue service Libor Kluz (father of the student).

1) What includes your work?

3) In which year season is your job the most complicated?

Well, let’s go to more in detail. I do life-saving care like first aid before ambulance or helicopter takes people to the hospital. I help to transport people from mountains and hard terrain to place where is able Ambulance or Helicopter to come. I help to evacuate people from cable railway or char-lift or help parachutist to get back on the ground. I teach future rescuers and finally I’m aircraft paramedic too.

Definitely in winter, because of snow, ice and climatic changes which complicates work in terrain.

4) How many interventions per year do you do?

Usually between 600 to 900. In winter is it around 500.

2) Is it necessary to be fit for rescuers? How do you get in fit-condition?

5) How can you find injured person?

Good fit condition is crucial in my job because we work in hard terrain where is sometimes impossible to get by car or helicopter. I go for mountain tours, running or climbing. I prefer Alpine skiing or riding bike or running for time limits

We use IT technique, smart phones, application Záchranka ect.

6) What was the most dangerous situation you had to face with?

It’s hard to say, because every situation is specific. You have to count with complications, weather changes. You have to improvise sometimes. Every situation is danger.

7) Did you have to fight for your life?

Yes, but you work in mountains, you have to count with this too. You can only minimalize risks when you organize your work or trips to mountains

8) Did Covid change your work?

Yes, we had to help more injured people in Spring than usual and we worked in less people because of disease.

9) Is it possible that women became a rescuer?

Yes, it is. She has to accomplish standards of the job and pass tests. She has to be in good fit condition, pass criterion in skiing or climbing. Women usually work as doctors.