PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER: JOB DESCRIPTION, DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Задание: прочитать, перевести и пересказать следующие тексты.

Topic 1

FROM THE HISTORY OF DONBASS AND DONETSK

The Donbass (taking its name from its location in the basin of the river Don) covers a total area of 1860sq. km and stretches 110 km from East to West and 50 km from North to South.

The Russian scientist Dmytro Mendeleev spent three months in the Donbass in 1888 and wrote, "I was struck by the unexhaustable richness of the area, surpassing anything I have ever seen not only in Russia but in Europe and America as well".

The geologists found coal to a depth of 1800 m. In 1957 it was estimated that there were 240 620 million tones. In 1721 Peter I showed the great interest that coal was to be found in the area but things moved slowly. The area was taken from the Crimean tatars in 1739 and mining began only in 1789. There were settlements on the site of Donetsk at the end of 18th century but the first mine was not opened there until 1820.

The name of John Hughes is well-known to everybody who lives in Donetsk. He started his career as a blacksmith. In 1869 with a capital of 300,000 pounds and having a sanction of the Russian government he founded the New Russian metallurgical company in London. Still with no knowledge of Russia or of the Russian language, he organized a new factory in the north country of the Sea of Azov. The equipment shipped from Britain was put ashore in Taganrog, the nearest port. Some experts and skilled workers came from England but the majority were from provinces of Northern Russia.

The settlement was called Yuzovka after Hughes. The railway connection added to Yuzovka's importance and the expanding village grew into a town by 1917.

Topic 2

SERGEY BUBKA BIOGRAPHY

Sergey Bubka (b. 14 December 1963 in Voroshilovgrad U.S.S.R., today Luhansk) is a world-famous athlete. He is the first pole vaulter to clear 6.1 meters (20 feet). He set the current world record of 6.14 meters on July 1994 in Sestriere, Italy.

Sergey Bubka started pole vaulting as young as nine. In 1978, aged 15 Bubka moved to Donetsk with his coach Vitaly Petrov. He entered world athletics in 1983 when he won the event in Helsinki with 5.7 meters (18 feet 8 inches). In the years that followed, Bubka set new standards in pole vaulting. He cleared 6 meters (19 feet 8 inches) on 13 July 1985 in Paris. This height had long benn considered unattainable. Bubka improved his own record little by little. In 1988 he achieved 6.06 meters in Nice, France. This increased the suspense whether he could beat the 6.1 meters mark at the Olympic Games in Seoul in the same year. He somewhat disappointed, but still won the gold medal with 5.9 meters (19 feet 4 inches).

Bubka increased the world record by 21 centimeters (8 inches) in the 4 years between 1984 and 1988, more than other pole vaulters have achieved in the previous12 years. He was the first athlete ever to jump over 6.1 meters in San Sebastian, Spain in 1991. Surprisingly Bubka failed to place in the subsequent Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. He set the current world record of 6.14 meters in 1994 after some commentators have already predicted the decline of the great sportsman. In 1996 Bubka qualified for the Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA, but an injury prevented him from taking part in the games.

The key to Sergey Bubka's success was his speed and strength. This enabled him to use poles that were longer and stiffer than normally used. This resulted in better catapulting action. He was also noted for his technique, gripping the pole notable higher than his competitors.

He was awarded the best sportsman of the Soviet Union for three years in the row from 1984 to 1986.

Since 2002, he is a member of the Ukrainian Parliament and its committee on questions of youth policy, physical culture, sport and tourism.

Topic 3a

PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER: JOB DESCRIPTION, DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Firefighters usually work for local governments providing firefighting services. Their main duty is to respond to emergency situations such as car crashes, pandemics, and accidents. The job is physically demanding and requires a lot of training.

Firefighters can perform all of the following duties:

1. Fighting building and forest fires.

2. Responding to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents, bomb threats and other emergencies.

3. Rescuing victims from burning buildings and accident sites.

4. Controlling and extinguishing fires using manual and power equipment, such as axes, water hoses, aerial ladders and hydraulic equipment and various firefighting chemicals.

5. Providing first aid and other assistance.

6. Acting as members of emergency response team to eliminate consequences of other emergencies such as chemical leaks or fallen electrical lines.

7. Ensuring proper operation and maintenance of firefighting equipment.

8. Supervising and coordinating the work of other firefighters.

When a call comes into a fire station, firefighters receive it and decide what equipment should be used and how many specialists should be involved. Once they arrive on the scene, they must quickly identify and solve problems, because even a few minutes can have a great impact on the situation during accidents and fires.

If firefighters are responded to an automobile accident, they will help medics to extract victims and prepare them for transporting. Many firefighters also have paramedic training, which makes them invaluable in these types of situations.

Other emergencies, such as chemical leaks or fallen electrical lines are taken care of by firefighters as well. They must be well trained in all types of situations because of the extensive nature of emergencies that firefighters are expected to face. Despite the chaos that surrounds emergencies, firefighters are assumed to maintain their concentration and communicate both to other emergency responders and victims and victims' families. As firefighters often see people at the most tragic moment of their life they must retain empathy for the victim without being emotionally involved.

The job is quite challenging and risky and requires skills, knowledge, and experience. Firefighters should possess good communication skills, physical strength, adaptability, decisionmaking skills, courage, self-sacrifice and dedication. Firefighters must be able to identify and solve problems in extremely stressful situations.

The profession of a firefighter is very responsible and honourable. They save people’s lives and protect people, the environment and property in different types of accidents and emergencies.

Topic 3b