Fire Protection Day 2023: the history and traditions of the holiday
On the last day of April, a professional holiday is celebrated by those who, risking their own lives, save people from a terrible enemy – fire. April 30, 2023 in Our Country is Fire Protection Day, which in Soviet times was called “Fireman’s Day”

When is it customary to celebrate a holiday

Fire Protection Day is celebrated annually 30 April. 2023 will be no exception. On this day, there will be celebrations and congratulations to all those involved in this work.

history of the holiday

Surprisingly, Firefighter’s Day, unlike, for example, Programmer’s Day or Secretary’s Day, has a very rich history. The holiday originates in the 1649th century, namely in XNUMX, when Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered the installation of round-the-clock fire patrols in Moscow. Representatives of these brigades were engaged not only in the direct fight against fire, but also in the prevention of emergencies – the observance of the then adopted fire safety standards. For example, it was not uncommon for people to set fire to their own houses so that the nails left on the ashes (an incredibly valuable commodity at that time!) Could be used to build a new home. It was the fire patrols who ensured that the nails were not mined in such a strange way. Members of the brigades had the right to issue penalties to those who did not follow the rules.

History has preserved the fact that the king’s order to introduce patrols was signed on April 30th. Almost three centuries later, in April 1918, Vladimir Lenin adopted a decree on fire safety measures, after which, for several decades during the Soviet Union, Fireman’s Day was celebrated in mid-spring. In 1994, already in the Federation, the holiday began to be called Fire Protection Day, and in 1999 (exactly 350 years have passed since the order of Alexei Mikhailovich), the first president of Our Country, Boris Yeltsin, gave the holiday an official status by decree. The day became a holiday, but not a weekend, and it remains so in our time.

What is celebrated on Fire Day

People have always been very afraid of fire – it brought misfortune and destruction. Even under Peter I, one of the first fire brigades was formed in Our Country. After the creation of fire patrols in Moscow, similar services began to appear in other cities.

In 1853, special standards were adopted, according to which the number of fire departments in each city was formed not on the basis of the desire of those who managed the settlement, but depending on the number of inhabitants. In settlements of up to two thousand inhabitants, who belonged to the first category, the fire brigade consisted of five people, and in a city with 25-30 thousand people (the highest, seventh category), 75 specialists led by a firefighter followed fire safety.

Today, professional firefighters are often congratulated not only by superiors and colleagues, but also by ordinary people whose homes, property, health and lives were saved by these heroic people.

On Fire Day, we say thank you to those who are in charge of rapid response and are the first to call “01” or “112” and sometimes sacrifice their lives to save people. According to statistics, in Our Country, on average, about 30 firefighters involved in emergency situations are killed per year.

Holiday traditions

On Fire Protection Day, distinguished heroes are given extraordinary titles and positions. The professional date is usually timed to coincide with solemn meetings with the awarding of insignia, medals, and certificates. A tribute to the memory of those who died in the performance of their professional duty is necessarily paid – during the meetings, minutes of silence are held, memorial and commemorative plaques are opened.

In addition, gala concerts are organized at various levels with the participation of amateur groups, local artists and stars. The heads of the structures of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, regions and the whole country also congratulate the employees. In schools and other educational institutions, relevant lectures and discussions about fighting fire are held, and films about firefighters and their activities are shown on television.

Also on April 30, various competitions and festivals are held with the participation of firefighters. Representatives of the fire service themselves celebrate the holiday in an informal setting – in the circle of relatives and friends.

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