Firefighters must devote at least 6 hours a month to climbing training within the current legislation. They used the real environment in the company's operations, which had to suspend production for the duration of their training. During a visit to his colleagues in Gary, the commander of the Factory Fire Department, Benjamín Brandis, was inspired by the  local climbing simulator, which was used by local firefighters. Today, they have their own climbing polygon built in the garage, which they invented, designed and built themselves.

Benjamín Brandis: "Our climbing polygon concentrates most of the possible interventions that can occur in U. S. Steel Košice. We have a crane runway, enclosed spaces, shafts and the like in one place. All components of the simulator come from USSK and copy real spaces and situations. For example, we have a footbridge, ladders, staircases that once served in USSK. We have adapted the shaft openings to what we need to practice, a narrow entrance to the breathing apparatus area, but we also have shafts of standard dimensions.

Some time ago, we had a real intervention in which we used climbing equipment in DZ Oceliareň. The man was stuck in a cascade two floors below in the technology, from where he had to be evacuated. We had to use several techniques and make anchor points in different places. It was a complicated intervention and we managed to simulate similar conditions in this polygon of ours.

We have space to practice evacuating a patient with climbing equipment from a depth and height, using a cable car, a three-legged or four-legged system with pulleys or directly through certified anchor points, traverse, abseiling... Our 76 firefighters can train at any time, in any weather, at any time of the year."

This is not the only novelty in improving the training conditions of our firefighters. They are currently working on the construction of an approximately 120-meter-long anti-gas polygon in the basement of the fire station. It should be ready by the end of September and our firefighters will then ask the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic to issue a certificate, which is necessary for its commissioning. They also designed this polygon and are building it themselves.