Volunteer Fire Department. Sociological contexts of fire photography

Abstract

Volunteer Fire Brigades are one of the oldest and most active non-governmental organizations in Poland. Their activities over the years have undergone many changes, inter alia, due to the dynamic development of the State Fire Service, which took over most of the rescue and firefighting activities. This does not mean weakening the activity of the Volunteer Fire Brigades, but only shifting the burden of activities to events integrating the local community, or setting secular and church celebrations. Many VFB units still maintain high rescue efficiency, because although there is a significant decrease in fires in rural areas, there are still threats during which volunteer firefighters intervene in the first place. The presented visual material presents events with the participation of the Volunteer Fire Brigades, which are permanently inscribed in their annual calendar, including: honorary assistance during the Easter Triduum, firefighting competitions and shows of the kindergarten fire team, fire exercises, communal harvest festival. The material shows the variety of uniforms and, above all, the relationships between firefighters, which in their symbolic dimension constitute the most important factor supporting the tradition and identity of volunteer firefighters and the ethos of their mission.