Rescuers of Odesa during the war: fires, shelling, and risks

rescuers of the State Emergency Service extinguate a fire. Photo: press service of the State Emergency Service

In 2004 year by presidential decree of Leonid Kuchma 17 September became Civil Protection Workers Day, and already in 2008 year Viktor Yushchenko renamed it to Day of the Rescuer of Ukraine. 17 September was chosen not accidentally: on this date the Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of the Virgin Mary, who is the patroness of firefighters and rescuers and provides help to all who fall into trouble. However, even on their professional day workers of the State Emergency Service remain at their posts, because war does not pause, and that night Odessa again found itself under a Russian attack. For rescuers this is yet another shift, where behind every call is someone’s life, and there is no room for error.

Journalists from Novini.LIVE spoke with Vitalii Labutin, sergeant of the Civil Defense Service of the State Emergency Service in Odesa region, about the daily work of rescuers and what they face every day.

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The life of a rescuer

Vitalii did not plan to become a rescuer. After several years in construction, he decided to try himself in the role of a State Emergency Service employee, came to the personnel department — and stayed in the service. For him this profession has long become a familiar part of life: to stay in shape he goes to the gym, and outside shifts he finds time for rest.

“This is a job like any other. It seems to me that now any job is risky: for electricians, for gas workers. Now, probably, such a time is risky,” says Vitalii Labutin, sergeant of the Civil Defense Service of the State Emergency Service in Odesa region.

Vitalii Labutin, sergeant of the Civil Defense Service of the State Emergency Service in Odesa region. Photo: Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region

At the calls, the rescuer worries most not about himself but about colleagues who work nearby. They enter the fire together, so they constantly watch not only the situation around them but also each other, because everything can change in seconds. Over time this mutual attention becomes rock-solid trust, because there are people next to you with whom you have gone through danger more than once and whom you can count on.

“We always try to support each other. If a colleague was injured during a fire, it is the ambulance that provides help there. We do not stop our work. After a fire we help as we can, but during a fire there are already psychologists and emergency aid,” says the rescuer.

Vitalii Labutin with colleagues. Photo: Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region

There is no time for long reflections on the way out, so it is important for the rescuer to assess the situation quickly and act immediately. Each shift goes differently, and it is impossible to predict how many calls there will be and what they will be like. Therefore they prepare in advance: check equipment, uniform, and everything that might be needed even before departure. But even in such work there are its omens.

“For example, putting on a new combat uniform or new boots before a change means before the fire. We ourselves don’t know what will happen in half an hour,” Vitalii shares.

Extinguishing a fire. Photo: press service of the State Emergency Service

Extinguishing a fire

The difficulty of extinguishing is influenced by the building’s height, access to the fire source, and the weight of the gear. In high-rise buildings, rescuers sometimes have to climb by foot to the 20-th floor and above — in a bulletproof vest, with an apparatus and other equipment. Even such a ascent places a serious load on the legs, and work after it must continue without rest. Each fire requires a different tactic and training.

“Ships are hard to extinguish due to the complexity of the structures. Because all metal heats up when you go there, the temperature is very high. That, perhaps, is the difficulty,” explains the rescuer.

End of extinguishing the fire. Photo: press service of the State Emergency Service

Among the typical mistakes of civilians during a fire are belated calls to rescuers, incorrect assessment of the blaze’s scale, and attempts to act without understanding the risks. People often waste time trying to cope with the fire with their own forces, instead of stepping back to a safe distance and waiting for professionals. As a result, another problem is added to the fire itself — the need to rescue those who tried to put it out.

“When they try to fight it themselves, and there are many cases where they expose themselves to danger: they crawl into the flames, and then get burns. For example, when they try to extinguish grass themselves. You need to have combat clothing, some gear, and they crawl in and then get burns, and that’s it,” notes Vitalii.

Work at the sites of impact

The full-scale war fundamentally changed the daily life of those who daily fight fire and save people. If earlier the main challenges were fires, now rescuers constantly work with the consequences of Russian shelling. After missile and drone strikes they dismantle debris, search for victims, and extinguish outbreaks. However before starting any work they must first ensure the safety of personnel.

“First — intelligence from the supervisor. Soldiers begin to lay out lines, prepare to extinguish the fire. Reconnaissance is to find out if there are internal intruders, any dangerous or explosive objects, or electrical current. The doing all this lies with the senior,” emphasizes the sergeant of the Civil Defense Service of the State Emergency Service in Odesa region.

Work of rescuers at impact sites. Photo: press service of the State Emergency Service

Because of Russian strikes on oil depots and other facilities with large fuel reserves, rescuers increasingly deal with massive fires. Such fires require much more forces and time to extinguish, and after some sorties for recovery another day or two may be needed.

“Yes, now there are more fires at oil depots. These are very complex fires — containers with oil. These fires are physically exhausting. They are long; they cannot be extinguished in a short time. The volumes are large, there you have to work exhaustively,” emphasizes Vitalii.

Massive conflagration. Photo: press service of the State Emergency Service

Rescuers during the war

After shelling, working among ruins, rescuers are aided by new equipment and devices. They ease access to damaged objects and simplify the elimination of the consequences of attacks. But war changed the work conditions: now no one can be sure that a strike will not be repeated.

“The challenge is that there are repeated hits, alarms. At that moment we cannot extinguish the fire. We are forced to take shelter and this interferes with working fully,” notes the rescuer.

Destruction as a result of a hit. Photo: Novini.LIVE

Rescuers now work with a constant risk to their lives not only from fires: they can be buried by debris, injured by damaged structures, or caught in a renewed strike by the Russian Federation. Among the personnel there have already been injured, and the service also suffered irreparable losses. Such cases remind most acutely of the price of this work.

“Very sorry, our coordinator died at a fire. Very good person. He was an officer who probably deserved this rank. Such people are very few. And I am truly sorry about him,” recalls the rescuer.

Each deployment after a shelling is work in conditions that cannot be fully predicted. Rescuers must focus on the task, despite all worries and constant risk. Yet thoughts about personal safety still appear from time to time.

“During artillery hits when missiles are repeated, it’s very sad for everyone. Everyone goes out and does not know if they will return home whole. Of course you shouldn’t think about that, but I still sometimes wonder if there will be another strike. And anything can happen,” confesses Vitalii.

Vitalii Labutin about his work. Photo: Novini.LIVE

The war has made extraordinary situations almost normal: what used to seem a terrible exception can happen on any night. For rescuers this means going again to the epicenter of danger, saving lives and guarding their own. So the best gratitude for them is the understanding of the price of every rescue.

As Novini.LIVE reported, Russian combat ships with missile armament are not currently observed in the Black Sea, but the threat of strikes on Ukraine remains. The enemy may launch missiles of the “Caliber” type directly from their bases, and Russian aviation and unmanned aircraft continue to operate over the Black and Azov seas.

Also, Novini.LIVE reported that on the night of 15 September, Odesa region experienced a massive attack by the Russian Federation. As a result, residential buildings, garages, cars, and a warehouse facility where a fire broke out were damaged. Over 50 State Emergency Service workers were involved in the response.