How to protect monuments against hazards The activities of the Regional Working Group for preventing crimes against monuments and the fire protection of monuments in the Lubelskie Region . Material prepared for the seminar Organised by the Office of Capital Conservator within the Framework of the international Project “ The Prevention of Fire Risks and Improving Systems for Extinguishing Fire in Municipal Old Towns classified as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage (HERITPROT).. Aneta Jurkowska MSc (Eng.). Regional Office for the Protection of Monuments in Lubl
In order to ensure the proper protection of cultural property in the Lubelskie Region, on 29 June 2000 was created the Regional Working Group preventing organised crime against cultural and historic heritage and acting for fire protection of the monuments, bringing together representatives of: - The Regional Police Office in Lublin - The Regional Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Lublin - The Department of Safety and Crisis Management of the Lubelskie Governor’s Office in Lublin, - The Diocesan Monument Conservators (Archdiocese of Lublin, Sandomierz Diocese, Siedlce Diocese, Radom Diocese, and Zamość-Lubaczów Diocese), • The Lublin Regional Conservator, who has become the coordinator of the activities of the Group
In 2000, District Inspection Teams were created. They are to make direct inspection of monuments. During each inspection, representatives of the following institutions were present: − District Police Offices − District Fire Services − District Offices − The Department of Safety and Crisis Management of the Lubelskie Governor’s Office in Lublin, − Diocesan Monument Conservators, − The Lublin Regional Conservator, -- The Border Guard (in border areas).
The vast majority of inspected sites are religious buildings The rest – secular public utility buildings. Each inspection of the Regional Working Group is preceded by a written notice to the owner / administrator of the monument, according to a pre-set inspection schedule. 5 Each year, the activities cover both the historic buildings that have not yet been inspected by the Group, and those already known to its members as requiring re-inspection, in order to check the implementation of previous recommendations.
During the inspection, each time a post-inspection report is made, which describes the current state of the facility’s protection and appropriate recommendations for its improvement. All comments and irregularities are passed on to the owner / administrator of the monument, along with an indication of possible alternative solutions.
Elements to be assessed • the overall condition of the building and its location, • mechanical and physical protection, • fire protection, • electronic protection.
After each inspection, in terms of fire protection, the following elements, among others, are to be assessed: • the historic building environment, • access roads (pavement, width), • accessible fire-fighting equipment and marking of the place of its storage, • the marking of the main current switch, • escape routes and exits flow rates and marking, • operating procedures in case of fire, including a list of emergency phone numbers, the maintenance of the existing signal and alarm system. • test reports concerning wiring and lightning protection systems and
St. Florian’s Parish Church in Krężnica Jara. Built in 1885 on the site of previous two wooden churches destroyed by fires (in 1595 and 1883).
Examples of timely maintenance and replacement of fire-fighting equipment
Examples of markings of the main current switches.
Examples of markings of routes and emergency exits according to the regulations of the State Fire Services.
Examples of instructions in case of fire placed in accessible locations.
Officers of the State Fire Services, acting in the framework of the Regional Working Group, carry out inspection and recognition activities in the manner specified in the Act on the State Fire Service. On the basis of separate reports made by them and concerning inspection and recognition activities, describing identified irregularities, the appropriate administrative decisions are issued by municipal and district chiefs of State Fire Services .
During each inspection, in terms of burglary protection, among others, the following elements are to be assessed: • exterior doors, • door bars, • internal doors (auxiliary rooms / choir / loft), • windows / window bars, • roof hatches / exits to the attic, • ways of storing movable monuments and the most valuable cult objects, • range, functionality, and efficiency of existing alarm systems.
Examples of improper protection
From the year 2000, in general, 1,113 monument inspections were performed (including: 550 inspections and 563 re-inspections). Officials inspected the following types of monuments: − wooden and brick, − housing a large amount of movable cultural property, − designated by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage to have a fire alarm system connected to the monitoring station of the State Fire Services
Summary of the data concerning the equipment and alarm systems of the monuments inspected by the Regional Working Group in the years 2000 – 2012. Number of facilities Number of facilities where it where a compulsory is required to install a fire- Number of facilities fire alarm system (FAS) alarm system, connected to with alarm systems was installed Number the signal receiving station of along with connection of conducted the State Fire Services (on the day of the first to the signal receiving (according to the list made by inspection) station the Regional Conservator in State Fire Services in force since 2005) religious secular secular religious anti-burgl. inspections re-inspections anti-burgl. fire prot . facilities facilities facilities facilities and fire prot. 550 563 54 10 39 17 27 4 24 1113 103 44 28
Among the most frequent and also the most serious irregularities found during the inspections are IN TERMS OF FIRE PROTECTION: ► lack of current technical inspections of wiring and lightning protection systems (or the lack of a lightning protection system or its improper installation), ► lack of marking of main current switches and gas shut-off valves.
Lack of proper marking of the main current switches.
Among the most frequent and also the most serious irregularities found during the inspections are IN TERMS OF FIRE PROTECTION: ► untimely maintenance and replacement of fire-fighting equipment and the lack of marking of storage places of fire- fighting equipment, ► lack of marking of emergency routes and exits.
Untimely maintenance and replacement of fire-fighting equipment.
Among the most frequent and also the most serious irregularities found during the inspections are IN TERMS OF FIRE PROTECTION: ► lack of instructions with emergency phone numbers in the event of fire ► improperly-secured network sockets and electrical connections.
Improper protection of electrical wiring.
In 2012 , inspections of a total of 86 monuments were performed, including: • 3 wooden monuments and 30 brick ones as new inspections, • 17 wooden monuments and 36 brick ones as re-inspections. In the area of activity: • The Regional Office for the Protection of Monuments in Lublin: 28 facilities, • The Delegation Office in Biała Podlaska: 20 facilities, • The Delegation Office in Chełm - 12 facilities, • The Delegation Office in Zamość - 26 facilities. During the re-inspection, it was found that post-inspection recommendations were fully implemented in 16 landmarks, partly in the case of 35, and in the case of 2 they were not implemented.
The condition of the fire and burglary protection, observed during inspections in 2012: Among 33 newly–inspected landmarks In 53 re-inspected landmarks an alarm system was present in 13 an alarm system was present in 15 including : including : • fire protection – 0, • fire protection – 0, • anti-burglary – 8, • anti-burglary – 4, • anti-burglary & fire protection – 5, • anti-burglary & fire protection – 11, which constitutes 29% of the group of facilities. which constitutes 39% of the group of facilities. Equipped with fire alarm system : Equipped with burglary and robbery alarm system: 81% 67%
Equipped win accessible fire-fighting equipment: Marking of the main current switch: correct none Marking of storage locations for fire extinguishers: Marking of escape routes and exits: correct none Instructions in case of fire Access roads (pavement, width): Access roads (pavement, width): : correct none
Securing main doors: Securing interior doors: correct incorrect Securing windows : Securing entrance side doors: correct incorrect Securing door bars: Securing roof hatches: correct incorrect
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