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Have you ever wondered what questions people who work in fire brigades are most often asked? Few people know that firefighters actually have to rescue frightened cats by removing them from trees. Their suit can withstand a direct blow from a flamethrower, and they also repair pipes, cut metal, and don’t like the full moon. Ready to find out why?

website I have collected a dozen little-known facts about how the work of firefighters works, which can once and for all change your opinion about this amazing profession. At the end of the article, you will find out why firefighters wish each other “dry hoses” and what it even is.

14. Their suit can withstand temperatures up to 1,200°C

13. No big mustache or facial piercings.

A firefighter wears an oxygen mask. According to safety regulations, in order for it to fit tightly, there should be no growths, piercings or hair on the face.

12. You can’t see or hear anything in a burning building.

In the movies, firefighters easily navigate inside a burning building, quickly find victims and take off their mask to put it on a person in need of help. In fact, you can’t take off your mask (otherwise the firefighter will suffocate), because of the thick smoke you can hardly see anything, and the loud crackling of the flames makes it difficult to hear people’s screams.

The worst enemy of all firefighters is backdraft. It happens that a fire in a closed room dies out without receiving oxygen, but when the door is opened, a lightning-fast explosive fanning of the fire occurs with the release of hot gases. This phenomenon is shown in the movie Backdraft.

11. A firefighter carries from 5 to 30 kg

This figure varies depending on what the suit is made of and what is included in the equipment. But it cannot be denied that firefighters can only work if you are in excellent physical shape.

10. Women have been working alongside men since the 1800s.

Their work is not limited to fires. These guys save people when floods, earthquakes, man-made disasters and terrorist attacks happen. They are some plumbers, electricians, mechanics, psychologists and even medical workers when it is necessary to provide first aid before the doctors arrive. In some countries, fire trucks have special equipment and devices for resuscitating victims.

8. They save animals when there is little hope

Many calls concern animals in distress. If a cow gets stuck in a ditch, a dog falls into a well, and a cat can't get out of a tree or out of a drainpipe, firefighters will come and do everything possible to save the animals.

Many calls turn out to be false, callers often make mistakes, and sometimes children play around. But even if false calls are constantly received from the same number, firefighters are obliged to go to the scene every time: suddenly, this time something really happened.

7. Shifts sometimes last more than a day.

Shifts typically last 24 hours with a 48-hour rest break, or 10-12 hour shifts for 3-4 days in a row. During major fires and other emergencies, firefighters may work for more than 24 hours without a break.

6. They put their suit in the closet so they can put it on in seconds.

Firefighters stack things so that in one fell swoop they can jump into their boots and put on their pants, and in the next second throw on a jacket, grab a helmet and climb into the car. They have only a couple of minutes to get ready and go to the call: every second can cost someone their life.

5. Previously, people in wet clothes entered the house to stop the fire. Now it's the other way around

In the past, Japanese firefighters used a special firefighting technique. They entered a burning house in wet clothes so as not to catch fire themselves, destroyed the walls to prevent the fire from spreading further, and then waited for the fire to go out on its own. This method made it possible to significantly reduce the number of victims and the number of major fires until the end of the 19th century.

Today water is brought in cars, but it only lasts for 5–10 minutes. This time is enough to start extinguishing and find the nearest hydrant or reservoir from where you can pump water. Firefighters are obliged not only to limit the movement of fire, but also to completely eliminate it as quickly as possible.

4. If the house has an open layout, almost no doors or walls, it will burn like a match.

100 years ago it was easier to put out fires. In houses with many rooms, fire is contained by walls and doors. If the house has an open layout, the fire spreads quickly, covers a large area and is difficult to extinguish. Most often, fires occur in the kitchen. Approximately 2/3 of fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms.

By the way, firefighters cannot send you to jail if you set fire to a house, but they can go to trial themselves. In their wake, an investigator is working, looking for the source of the fire and drawing up a report on the legality of fire extinguishing: suddenly, during the actions of firefighters, damage was caused that could have been avoided.

3. Many fires are put out by volunteers, not professional firefighters.

Michael Hingson is blind. Rossel, his faithful dog whom he hired. This incident took place on the 7th floor, when the building began to collapse, all the workers began to run to save themselves. Michael couldn't do this. But Rossel did it. He continued to lead his master down the stairs and out of the building. As a result, they were both saved from death. Rossel then received an award from the mayor and earned the nickname “Hero Dog.”

2. Chihuahua saved a child from a rattlesnake

Booker West, a 1-year-old child, was playing in the water in the backyard when a poisonous snake was about to attack him. Luckily, a dog named Zooey was able to drive the snake away. Thanks to Zooey, the child was saved from the attack of a dangerous snake.
3. A pig saved a man from a heart attack

A pig named Lulu saved the life of Joe Ann Alzman, who suffered a heart attack while on vacation in Presque Isle, Pennsylvania. When Joe Enna suffered a heart attack, there was no one on the street to take care of him, but Lulu deliberately turned to passing cars for help. According to eyewitnesses, Lulu walked out into the middle of the road and lay down to stop the car. After she managed to stop the car, Lulu led the driver of that car to the place where Jo Ann was. The driver immediately called 911 to help Joe Ann.
4. Dolphins saved the fisherman

Fisherman Ronnie Dabel was rescued by a pod of dolphins. Ronnie was fishing in bad weather which caused his boat to capsize and he was almost in danger of dying. But suddenly a school of dolphins appeared, which loaded the fisherman onto themselves and brought him to the shore.
5. A dog saved a child during a fire in Mexico

The boy Ivan Saul did not know about the fire and slept in his bed, while his family had already left the wooden hut. The dog, named Roscoe, knowing that there was still a child inside, ran into the bedroom to wake up Ivan. Ivan woke up and got out unharmed, while Roscoe suffered 30% skin burns but lived.
6. A white whale saved a drowning diver

A woman named Yang Yun suffered a severe scare when her leg cramped during a diving competition in Polar Land, Harbin, China. In this competition, participants must not use any breathing apparatus and must remain in the water for as long as possible. When Yang Yun felt exhausted, and her body had already sank to the bottom of the reservoir, the beluga Mila pushed her to the surface with her nose, thereby saving her life.
7. A gorilla saved a 3-year-old child from other gorillas.

Binti Jua, an 8-year-old gorilla, rescued a 3-year-old boy who fell into a gorilla cage at Brookfield Zoo, Illinois. The boy climbed to a height of 18 feet and fell into a cage containing 7 gorillas, after which he immediately lost consciousness. Gorilla Binti Jua guarded the boy from other gorillas, then took him and carried him to the exit (and she had her child on her back), where the doctors were already standing. The boy was quickly brought back to consciousness.
This was not an isolated incident; on August 31, 1986, at the Jersey Zoo, a 5-year-old boy fell into the gorillas' enclosure and lost consciousness; a large male gorilla named Jumbo guarded the boy, preventing any of the other gorillas from approaching him. When the boy woke up and started crying, all the gorillas retreated and zoo workers were able to get him safely.
8. A dog saved its owner by calling 911

Buddy is a dog trained to call 911 when his owner has a seizure and wants to pick up the phone. The owner is suffering from a dangerous seizure, so he trained his dog to detect when he needs help and bring him the phone. When Buddy calls 911 and hears the operator's voice, she hangs up the phone and starts whining as if she's in trouble and needs help. When the operator records the location of the call, he immediately sends help.
9. The dog that saved its owner from suffocation

Debbie Parkhurst, a 45-year-old woman, was alone in her home when she choked on an apple - Debbie began pounding her chest, causing her dog, Toby, to become alert. Then, without thinking, Toby jumped onto Debbie's chest, which was lying on the floor. Toby and Debbie began tapping her chest together until the rest of the apple came out and she could breathe. “When I started breathing, Toby saw it and silently began to lick me,” Debbie said.
10. The cat saved the family from the fire

Diana Basher woke up at 4:45 a.m. to the sound of a cat screaming in the garage. Diana went downstairs to see what the noise was about. There she saw smoke and fire - she quickly grabbed the cat and rushed back into the house to wake up her husband and 5 children. The fire destroyed the garage and bedrooms. No one in the family was injured, thanks to the cat's screams.
11. The dog saved the woman from the river

Brenda Owen was out for a walk with her dog when she saw a wheelchair on the river bank - there was a woman in the river. She called out to her, but there was no answer, after which she told her dog, Penny, the command “Get it! Get it!” Without hesitation, the dog ran into the river, swam to the woman and pulled her ashore. Brenda said Penny had always been a very obedient dog and, despite being 10 years old, she was still in very good shape.
12. Dolphins saved a surfer from sharks

One hot August day, Todd Andries decided to go surfing with his friends. While surfing, a 15-foot shark appeared. The shark tried to bite him, but could not - its jaw was clamped by a surfboard. Then the shark once again tried to swallow his leg, but Todd began kicking it in the face, the shark attacked again and again. When Todd was running out of energy and thought it was the end, a pod of dolphins appeared and formed a protective ring around him, holding the shark in it long enough for Todd to catch a wave and swim to shore. Todd suffered no internal injuries, but some of the skin on his back was torn off.
These are some of the cases of miraculous rescue of people by animals!

Dogs have proven more than once how loyal they are to humans. Many of them sacrificed their health and lives to save their owners, some took risks to protect other creatures. Not all of their destinies turned out happily - and most of them were due to the fault of their “great” friend... We will tell only some stories related to incredible cases that testify to dog actions that can be equated to feats.

The story of a dog named Balto from Alaska many already know, thanks to its film adaptation. Let us only recall that the events took place in 1925. In a remote village, covered with snow, where no type of transport could reach, diphtheria broke out among children during the winter cold, which in Alaska reaches minus 45˚. This is a very serious disease that affects the respiratory tract and threatens cardiac arrest. Those who fell ill had to be urgently sent to the nearest hospital, located hundreds of kilometers away on impassable roads, or have medical care and medicine brought from there.

Dog sleds became the last hope of people. In one of them, the leading dog was harnessed by Balto, a Siberian husky. He dragged his load through deep snow, resisting the frosty wind, whose speed was 80 km / h. Even when the owner of the sled, Gunnar Kassen, lost the way and confidence that they would get there, Balto pulled and dragged the sled towards the goal, guided by his instincts and feelings. The trip ended successfully - everything was delivered on time. Balto was written about in the newspapers, and a monument was erected to him in New York.

"Good" people sent a heroic dog, like other dogs, perform in a circus show. But they were rescued from there and sent to the Cleveland Zoo (also not the best decision). After Balto's death, his body was embalmed and sent to the Cleveland Museum, displayed as a memory and reminder of the dog's devotion and courage.

Leo the dog lived with his family in Melbourne, Australia. In 2008, the house was engulfed in fire. The owner, her children and another dog managed to run out into the street. Leo, the second Jack Russell Terrier, did not leave the house, remaining there to make sure all family members were safe. When the fire was extinguished, firefighters who entered the house found the dog lying unconscious, covering the tiny kittens, whose mother had left them in fright. The dog was rescued and provided with the necessary medical care. As soon as Leo came to his senses and returned to his family, he began to lick the kittens as if they were his own babies. By the way, their mother was also found.

One and a half year old golden retriever Angel was very attached to the owners' eleven-year-old son Austin. He never left his side. The events took place in Canada in 2010. A boy carrying firewood into a barn was attacked by a puma. The dog, without hesitation, rushed to protect the child, grappling with a formidable predator that surpassed him in strength and size. The police, who responded to the mother's call, shot and killed the cougar. The dog was badly bitten, blood was oozing from its wounds, and everyone thought that it had died. But Angel, bleeding, began to crawl towards the boy to make sure he was saved. Veterinarians helped save the dog, and she returned to her owners.

In 2013, living in New York with a blind man, Cecil Williams Guide dog Orlando was 11 years old. His owner wanted to change the dog to a younger one. However, subsequent events convinced Cecil of the dog’s devotion, forcing him to keep him for the rest of his life. Cecil Williams accidentally tripped and fell onto the subway tracks. The dog jumped after him and, standing next to him, began to bark loudly non-stop. A train was rushing towards them. It was only thanks to the tall figure of the black Labrador and his barking that the driver noticed something was wrong on the way and began to abruptly stop the train. The stopped train only slightly touched a man and a dog, who were later treated at the hospital. Orlando remained with the owner as not an employee, but a friend. Cecil was assigned another guide - also a retriever, but golden, named Godiva.

Not only those living with people, including mongrels and capable of great deeds. A mongrel whose habitat was the Argentine slums became interested in the squeak of a baby thrown into the street. It was a cold night in 2008, when the air temperature in Argentina dropped to almost zero. The dog came running in response to the cry and, picking up the human cub, carried it to its newborn puppies. By warming her with her warmth, she saved the life of a child left naked and unfed in the middle of darkness and cold. In the morning, the baby was found by an ambulance, which sent him to the hospital. Everything turned out to be completely fine with him.

Mikhail and Irga took part in 14 rescue operations

Stavropol

Blonde with brown eyes and a toned figure. A professional career is more important to her than raising children and a quiet family life. Kind and affectionate, but with character: if she’s not in the mood, no one will force her to work. She is constant in one thing - sincerely devoted to her owner. Labrador Irga, together with rescue dog handler Mikhail Tipukhov, became the best according to the results of the All-Russian festival “Constellation of Courage” in the category “Best rescue dog handler”.

Mikhail joined the rescue squad in 2008. Six months later, Irga appeared in his life. Her mother also worked with a dog handler and searched for missing people.

When I joined the detachment, I didn’t take the dog right away. I studied for about six months - went to training camps and watched. It took a long time to find a puppy. “I wanted a dog with “working” blood,” says Tipukhov.

Irga learned quickly. At nine months she successfully passed the mountain avalanche certification, although other dogs take it a year. The exam consisted of three stages. Mikhail and Irga found the missing people under an avalanche and in the forest. Only in the stone blockage did problems arise - while still a puppy, she did not dare to jump from boulder to boulder.

When searching in the technogenic environment, Irga has no equal

After this, Irga’s unofficial specialization became searching in the technogenic environment. She has no equal here. Not long ago, Irga's documents were sent for assignment to class C - the highest for a search dog. She has 14 rescue operations and several found mushroom pickers and people lost in the forest. I even went to Dombay when the climbers disappeared there.

Irga surprises every day. It might work better than anyone else. And sometimes he doesn’t want to do anything at all. Character shows. Still a girl. In general, she is good-natured. “As affectionate as a cat,” says the owner.

To get into a working mood, Mikhail and Irga perform a small ritual. When the owner has a special belt bag with a treat in his hands, the dog understands that he will soon be working and begins to get nervous. Then Mikhail sits down next to her and calms his charge. Then he determines the direction from which the wind is blowing, points with his hand and says: “Look.”

Now Irga is seven years old - a respectable age, so to speak, the prime of her professional career. She had puppies only once, and as a mother she showed herself to be useless. After that, she was sterilized, and she completely devoted herself to rescue work: every day they practice basic commands for at least an hour, and twice a month they train to search for people.

The victory in the “Constellation of Courage” competition came as a surprise to Mikhail, although the award was well-deserved, since a year earlier at the All-Russian competition, Stavropol dog handlers under his leadership took first place. He went to Moscow for the award ceremony alone, Irga stayed at home. Such a long separation is rare for them, so the meeting this time was especially warm.

The Belgian Shepherd Fartu is called “flying” by the Kazan Search and Rescue Team (KPSU) - just show your favorite toy (and in winter a lump of snow will do for it) and she will jump up briskly, trying to catch it.

The game is one of the elements of daily warm-up, because Farta is a professional rescuer and must always be in working uniform. Even now, after the recent birth of ten puppies, she is ready at any moment to go on a search operation, carefully listening and following all the commands of her beloved owner - first-class rescuer of the CPSO and owner of the title "Best dog handler of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia" Irina Fedotkina.

Irina has over 300 search and rescue operations of varying complexity, including the collapse of residential buildings in different regions of the country, the wreck of the motor ship "Bulgaria", and a plane crash at the Kazan airport. Now there are four dogs on her team, among them the Rottweiler Jessa, with whom Irina learned the basics of work in the early 2000s, and then received champion medals in numerous competitions and went to the most difficult emergencies. Today Jessa is honorably retired, and the main burden falls on Farta, who became the first rescue dog to learn three areas of work: searching for the living, searching for the dead, and in the mountain avalanche service.

The basis of Farta’s skill is Irina’s efforts, but, as the dog handler herself says, the genetics of the animal also played a huge role.

Farta turned out to be the most inclined to work in the Ministry of Emergency Situations: she showed complete fearlessness and an absolute lack of aggression towards people

Abroad, Belgian Shepherds are widely used in law enforcement agencies. This breed is distinguished by very high endurance and good training perception. In Russia I was looking for such a dog for about a year and a half, I found it in the city of Dmitrov, Farta’s parents serve in the SOBR there. Of all the puppies, mine turned out to be the most inclined to our work: she showed complete fearlessness and an absolute lack of aggression towards humans. Plus we just have a great psychological match. By the time she was a year old, she had certifications in three types of work,” Irina said and added that the best reward for work for Farta is her favorite toy, and finding people for her is a game process and brings pleasure.

The most serious “combat” test for a rescue dog was a fire in the Kazan shopping complex “Admiral”, as a result of which the building was completely destroyed. In the tragedy, we recall, 17 people were killed and dozens were injured.

During this emergency, Farta’s most serious mental test took place. After all, such incidents are a release of adrenaline in people. Dogs sense fear and panic very well. The average dog simply will not go into such an atmosphere. Farta has gone. Open burning continued, the building was being destroyed, there was loud noise from operating equipment, and people were screaming. Under these conditions, she did her job absolutely calmly, and for a very long time. She returned with burnt paws and whiskers, but completed the task,” the dog handler recalls.

A few weeks ago, Farta became a mother for the second time. Last year she had 11 children, and they all went to work. Two, for example, serve in Moscow and already have certifications in search and rescue, mountain avalanche and mine detection services. Two more are in Chelyabinsk, three are in Crimea: one is in the search field, the other became an assault dog and serves in Berkut, the third works at the airport.

This year’s puppies are already all “booked” and in about a month they will go to their future places of work, says Irina, not hiding her pride in her pupil. - Dogs do not deceive and will never leave a person in trouble.

Earthquakes, floods, man-made disasters... During his 13 years of service, first class rescuer Alexey Bochkarev flew halfway around the world: he worked in the most difficult conditions in Haiti, Nepal, Kathmandu, Donetsk... And with him - Bernie - a 24-kilogram Labrador retriever . This plump, cheerful black dog is the most experienced dog in the kennel of the Centrospas squad.

Bernie's parents were also working rescue dogs. It is important that the puppy is curious, kind, and wants to play with people. But aggression is useless,” says Alexey Bochkarev. - Now I have three dogs. One is certified for explosives, and two are certified for searching for people in rubble and man-made environments. Each requires a different approach: I give someone a treat as a reward for completing a task, and I play with someone more.

Bernie's favorite toy is a ball, which he quickly chases around the training ground. Looking at him, you can’t say that the dog is a real “veteran” of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and has been working for 12 years. His ringing bark became a symbol of salvation for several dozen people.

And recently “Tsentrospas” went to Italy for joint exercises. The Italians deliberately brought down the old building and placed people in the rubble. It was expected that the Russians would need at least 12 hours to work. And Bernie found all the “victims” in 1.5 hours!

Answering the question of which emergency was remembered most, the dog handler immediately becomes serious and remembers Beslan.

On the one hand, when you work, there is no time for tears. On the other hand, dead children... it’s very difficult,” says Alexey Bochkarev. “My dog, who was then close to the epicenter of the explosion, was severely concussed. And she is no longer alive. Unfortunately, our dogs are not entitled to medals. But the fact that they serve people and save lives is already a worthy reward.

Kaliningrad

3rd class rescuer from Kaliningrad Yuri Murushkin with his border collie Akai was recognized as the best rescue dog handler in the North-West Regional Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia based on the results of 2016.

Yuri and Akai serve in the Kaliningrad branch of the North-Western regional search and rescue team. They specialize in finding people, and how many mushroom pickers have found lost in the forest, including children, Murushkin cannot say for sure: every year there are dozens of trips with constant success.

Although Akai looks like a cute, shaggy mongrel, he has a long pedigree. The mother is from Poland, the father is Russian, both are professional rescuers of the purest blood. Yuri took the dog, who is now three and a half years old, as a one-month-old puppy and raised him himself. His friend and assistant, according to him, is very smart, fast, and well trained. An expressive muzzle, a sensitive nose, cheerful eyes, alert ears - Akai seems to be ready to take off at any moment, run, jump, play...

His favorite pastime is playing,” Yuri confirms. - This is also why Akai is an excellent and promising search and rescue dog, because for this work animals are selected precisely for playful forms of behavior and lack of aggression. For them, searching for a person is an exciting activity.

A dog can smell a person half a kilometer away

A small, half a meter tall, border collie herding dog has recently been used in the system of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, and it is a valuable and irreplaceable assistant, despite all the technical equipment of modern rescue services. In difficult areas, large areas with poor visibility, the dog’s sense of smell is often the only hope: a dog can smell a person half a kilometer away. As a rule, more than one dog is involved in the search; in difficult cases, dog handlers with pets can walk in a chain, covering a corridor up to a hundred meters wide each.

But still, says Yuri Murushkin, ultimately the salvation of a person is the merit primarily of people, and not of dogs. Although the “lost ones” found in the forest are ready to kiss the dog as their savior, in fact the success of the operation depends on how the search is planned.

The dog must maintain its shape at all times. It’s like a tool: if it doesn’t work, it rusts and becomes unusable,” says Yuri.

After all, the physical activity of both humans and animals is considerable: walking ten kilometers is a common thing. Every shift is a training session if there is no travel. Every week there is a planned training session. And every year four-legged rescuers undergo certification for admission to the profession.

Rescuer of the Yeisk search and rescue team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia Stanislav Zubach took second place in the category "Best Dog Handler" of the VIII All-Russian festival "Constellation of Courage". And at the regional selection in the Southern Federal District he had no equal.

Labrador Isa, one might say, became a lucky talisman for Stanislav. With his pet, he repeatedly won regional competitions of canine teams of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Southern Federal District. In 2014 he took first place in the individual competition and first in the team competition, and in 2015 he took an honorable second place in the individual and team competition.

Usually dog ​​handlers divide dogs into two categories, says Stanislav. - There are “food workers” who work for delicacies, and there are “fetchers”. This is a type of character when an animal carries out the owner’s tasks not for food, but simply for pleasure, playing, one might say. My Isa is like this. Alive, active, kind.

A fetch dog is initially trained to search for people during play. During training they hide extras with toys. The dog must find the “conditional victim”, give a voice and make sure that the rescuer sees where it is. After this, the extra returns the toy to her and, thereby, seems to encourage her.

In three years, Isa saved eight people

Four years ago, colleagues from Sochi gave Stanislav a small Labrador puppy. Since then they have been inseparable. Isa lives at home with his owner in a special enclosure and goes to work at the Ministry of Emergency Situations every morning. The family doesn't mind. Four-year-old son Nikita loves to frolic with her. “I don’t know if he’ll want to become a rescuer in the future,” Stanislav smiles. “He’s still little, he’s not talking about it yet.”

Isa’s job is very responsible - to look for missing or lost people, but not by some personal belongings, but by the smell of human life. In three years she saved eight people.

In areas where there are forests, people are more likely to get lost, but in our Yeisk region there are mostly fields,” adds Stanislav. - It’s difficult to get lost, but, as they say, you can get lost in three pines. There are all sorts of cases.

Once a man was driving from ice fishing with a rich catch. To celebrate, he abused alcohol. The traffic cops, naturally, stopped him, took away his driver's license, and took the car to the impound lot. The man went on foot and fell through the hatch. Fortunately, he managed to call the rescue service right from underground. The problem was that he did not know where exactly he was, since the area was unfamiliar. They started looking for him, and it was Isa who discovered him.

In the Yeisk region in winter, emergencies on thin ice in estuaries occur very often. The rescuer risks failure, but the dog is easier. Now Isa is trained to take a rope in her teeth and bring it to a drowning person. So far this experience is only “training” and Isa has not yet had the opportunity to save people on ice, but if necessary, she is ready.

Photo: from the archive of Stanislav Zubach

Krasnoyarsk

Roman Butenko, a canine handler of the Siberian regional search and rescue team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, spends most of the year on business trips. I have already traveled all over Siberia up and down. And everywhere with his faithful friend - the golden retriever Chris. Rescuers say that if a dog saved at least one person, he did not live his life in vain. Over eight years of work, Roman Butenko and Chris have completed 40 major search projects. This year alone there have already been nine rescue operations.

In August 2009, we, together with Krasnoyarsk rescuers, were among the first to arrive at the scene of the accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station,” says Roman. - The conditions were very difficult. The dogs were used in search operations and were seriously injured. There is terrible pollution all around. Some kind of chemical is spilled everywhere. Unknown gases evaporate. After each exit, the dog had to be washed off the machine oil. Dampness and water are everywhere you go. Glass, sharp pieces of reinforcement, pieces of concrete, and twisted parts of equipment are lying around here. The dogs returned from the mission with cut and broken paws and skinned sides. We suffered enough then. People can’t breathe, but can you imagine what it’s like for a dog with his keen sense of smell?

Rescue dogs are focused on finding the living. Of course, they react to the dead, but in a completely different way. Designate a place. Interestingly, all dogs have an individual reaction; the dog handler must know his pet well and constantly monitor his behavior. It is impossible to teach an animal to react in a certain way. Only experience and constant contact with the dog.

The dogs returned from the mission with cut and broken paws and skinned sides.

This happened during the collapse of the building on Television in Krasnoyarsk. They knew that people were working at the site. But they couldn't find it. They called us. I saw Chris running and stopped, dug once and moved on. If there are people alive under the rubble, he doesn’t behave like that. This is where, according to all indications, the builders should have been. Then they began to sort through the rubble and actually found the body. I had to dig three or four meters.

Another dog would probably have behaved differently in this situation. Roman says that dogs are like people, they are individual, so no two reactions are the same.

You look at everything: the withers somehow rose incorrectly, took a stance, and begins to squeal. Thus, it gives a sign to the person that there is something here. As if asking whether to bark or not, because, supposedly, I am trained to react to living things. The dog thinks too. It is important to her how the instructor will respond to this, whether she will praise her or not.

Chris is a repeated winner and prize-winner of Siberian regional and interdepartmental competitions. His father is a champion of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and his mother became famous for her achievements in duck hunting; even the head of state presented her with one of the awards.

Khabarovsk

Natalya Simorot, who works in the regional search and rescue team of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in tandem with the Labrador Max, was recognized as the best Far Eastern rescue dog handler within the framework of the All-Russian festival “Constellation of Courage” this year. Their union is connected not only by a common cause, but also by sincere love for people.

In the dog, according to Natalya Alexandrovna, it is pathological in nature.

“He rejoices at every person, even strangers,” says the dog handler, snatching me from the hot embrace of the “dobrodor.” - And when children come to us on an excursion, the dog has a holiday!

Apparently, it is this quality that helps Max cope with his work easily. Certified in class "A" - searching for people in man-made debris and in the natural environment, he has repeatedly participated in search and rescue operations in the Far East.

They searched for those who had disappeared with him in the forest. We went to the village of Korfovsky to witness a domestic gas explosion. But, to be honest, in this case it was quite difficult to work with him. He’s very active, he doesn’t look where he’s running, but it’s dangerous there,” says Natalya Simorot.

According to the documents, the dog of the Ministry of Emergency Situations is listed as Germinal Misty Triumph Time

1st class rescuer, instructor of the Russian Canine Federation, she has been working in the Ministry of Emergency Situations for almost twenty years. She has more than one trained dog behind her, each of which Natalya gave human names: Bessie, Laura, Ustin, Sonya...

I thought for a long time about what to name Max. According to the documents, he is listed as Germinal Misty Triumph Time, he has Swedish roots, - during the conversation, Natalya Alexandrovna constantly pulls down the Labrador, who, if not kissing the cats living in the service room, then opens the cabinet with balls. - You have to be stricter with males, but with girls you are more affectionate. Of course, you can’t do without carrots and sticks here. In general, the work of a dog handler is a tandem between a dog and a person, hard work based on daily training, training and friendship.

But, as the rescuer admits, now, as the head of the canine search and rescue unit of the detachment, it is not always possible to work with Max.

There is no time, the end of the year, paperwork... I would like to get ready for training now: to physically drive the dog. After all, people can’t even imagine how dogs like to exercise and do some kind of work. It doesn’t have to be search and rescue, any kind - even just jumping and running after a ball. They shouldn't be at home...

Ekaterinburg

The morning of a canine handler of the Ural search and rescue team does not begin with coffee. Rescue dogs live at home with their trainers, so the daily routine of a canine handler of the Ministry of Emergency Situations is almost no different from that of an ordinary four-legged owner: walks three times a day, feeding twice.

Obedience training takes place on every work shift: the dog handler must be sure that during a real operation the dog will understand his orders and follow them. The most interesting thing is that dogs are trained in a situation as close as possible to work, once a week - to keep the tailed employees in excellent search form. Usually these classes are carried out not at the dog’s usual training ground, but at some suitable new place. The squad's canine handlers travel around abandoned buildings, factories, and quarries, where there are already rubble or where they can quickly be imitated, and train bloodhounds here and there. The dog must be able to find an injured person in any situation, because emergencies happen anywhere.

RG correspondents attended one of the training sessions and even worked as extras.

An extra is a conditional victim that the dog is looking for. As Elvira Volkova, second class rescuer of the canine service and owner of the German shepherd Keif, notes, the more extras in the training, the better. The dogs become accustomed to the smells of the staff who train them. And so that in real work the dog can search for a person by an unfamiliar smell, strangers must participate in the training.

Less than two minutes passed before Keif and Elvira came to the rescue

“It’s great to test the work of a search dog and at the same time help in training,” I think and go to choose a shelter. There are enough places to “hide and hide” at the training ground: there are several small rubble that look like huts made of boards, an old car, a ravine, and a construction site nearby. But what attracted attention was a well, about 2.5 meters deep, into which we, together with the photographer, decided to climb.

Less than two minutes later, Keif and Elvira came to the rescue. Having found us, Keif professionally barked at the shelter until a rescuer appeared with a tasty treat, which immediately migrated into the smart dog’s mouth.

Keif is a local five-year-old boy, originally from Yekaterinburg,” says Elvira, “he was given to our family for free, under a verbal agreement that he would work in the Ministry of Emergency Situations, save people. The breeder named him Basque: he stood out from the rest of the litter with his loud, howling bark, which was distinct from everyone else. But among our squad there were no fans of the singer’s work, and we called him Keif, or in our home language Kayfusha.

Its bark is not its only feature. This is the first personal dog in the squad, with which an agreement was concluded for use for official purposes; before that, all dogs were service dogs.

How to choose a puppy - a future rescuer? Why should emergency service dogs trust strangers? Why do dog handlers hide sausage in training rubble? Alexandra Zolina, a dog handler at the Center for Special Risk Rescue Operations Leader, knows this firsthand. Nevsky Express, gas explosions, building collapses, searching for missing people in the forest - over the course of 15 years she has had the opportunity to visit various, sometimes dangerous situations.

Today, I see my calling in passing on this experience to young employees: almost every month I go to the regions for training camps, certifications, and competitions,” says Alexandra Zolina. - I coach a team that takes first place in professional skills competitions.

Alexandra is an experienced judge and instructor. She is one of those who makes the decision whether to allow the animal into service or not. According to her, there are several main factors. Firstly, a young dog must be fearless, active, stress-resistant, and love people. Secondly, she must pass a test: find “victims” in the forest and in a collapsed building. There, in some bookmarks, instead of a living person, there is a decoy - delicious-smelling food. Under no circumstances should you be distracted by it.

The attack works not only as a rescuer, but also as a psychologist

Alexandra's ward, the German shepherd Ataka, is not even a year old, she is just getting ready for her first certification. But together with the owner he works not only as a rescuer, but also as a volunteer at the Center for Psychological Assistance for Children with Developmental Disabilities. The dog chooses a toy, brings it to the child and carefully places it in his hands. As a rule, he immediately comes to life, quickly makes contact with the animal, and begins to smile.

Attack loves to communicate with children. For the sake of the game, for the sake of their attention, she is ready to perform many tricks: jumping, crawling, walking on her hind legs. Or, for example, make a “bunny,” says Alexandra Zolina. - She sits on the building of her paws, and holds her front paws suspended in front of her. When my daughter sees this, she always says: “Mom, what a bunny this is, this is a kangaroo!”