Firefighters only put out fires
Many people associate the fire department exclusively with putting out fires. In reality, however, fires only make up part of their work. "The majority of our operations are technical assistance," explains district fire chief Andy Dorroch. These include traffic accidents and opening doors.
You can extinguish a grease fire with water
A particularly dangerous misconception. "Never extinguish a grease fire with water!", warns the district fire chief urgently. Although it won't cause an explosion, the water will stir up the burning, hot fat - with dramatic consequences.
The correct way to handle it: switch off the stove, place a suitable lid on the pan and carefully remove it from the stove. This will deprive the fire of oxygen.
In the event of a fire, you always have ten minutes to escape
This assumption can be life-threatening. "This is not always the case," Dorroch clarifies. Smoke and toxic gases can spread extremely quickly. As soon as you notice a fire or heavy smoke, you should leave the building immediately and warn other people who are still inside.
The fire department is a man's job
This image is also long outdated. "The fire department really used to be a male domain. We now have more and more women in the fire department - especially in the youth fire department," says the district fire chief. A trend that will hopefully continue.
The fire department already does everything, I don't have to do anything
A dangerous fallacy. "Of course we drive to the fire station as quickly as possible, get changed and head out. But ten minutes can pass in the process." This makes working smoke alarms in homes all the more important. What's more, in the event of a fire or accident, everyone is a first responder - and that includes calling 112 immediately. "We can only help if we are alerted," emphasizes the district fire chief.
