Jämsänkosken VPK fire brigade is created at the mill
Fire protection of the old Jämsänkoski pulp mill had been left to fire guards doing their rounds. There was no fire fighting system, but fire protection was based on as early detection as possible. The mill burned down in June 1896. Only the brick bleaching plant remained. The fire spread quickly and attempts at putting it out with buckets and a hand sprayer were hopeless. The insurance permitted construction of the new factory to start immediately. Insurance companies were an early influence on development of industrial fire protection, as e.g. factories that installed a sprinkler system were given discounts on their premiums. Fire fighting equipment was bought for the fire service, and firemen's uniforms and helmets. Individual fire pumps were positioned in all works sections, and a sufficient number of hoses provided to cover the whole works area. The Patalankoski paper mill pump was responsible for fires on the east side of the rapids, the Hovilanhaara paper mill pump for the west side of the rapids, and the pulp mill pump for Saarenmäki and the Alaja timber store. The Rekolankoski groundwood plant was also given its own pump. The sections of the pulp mill with most fire hazards were equipped with a sprinkler system. By the mid-1910s, an up-to-date fire fighting system had already been set up in the works. The fire brigade in the United Paper Mills era
With the help of a donation from the company in 1920, the first motorised fire hose, Big Bertha, was purchased. The company provided the fuel and lubricants for the equipment, paid the salaries of the fire brigade management, and compensated the crew for exercises and call-outs. Many maintenance and repair jobs on the equipment were done by the company. From 1935, VPK was also contracted as the municipal fire brigade of Jämsänkoski. Even after the war, the VPK funds were kept in the factory service office. However, officially it was not an actual factory fire service.
Link: Jämsänkosken VPK |
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