As the Cheka-OGPU learned, mobilization is already in full swing in the ranks of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. True, with one caveat, mainly among workers. It’s worth explaining a little here. Firefighters (or as they are commonly called among their members, “extinguishers”) in the Ministry of Emergency Situations are divided into employees and workers (civilians). Employees are guys on a contract, in uniform and, therefore, with all the ensuing benefits.
Employee firefighters mainly serve in large cities, but even there, there are fire departments where the guards consist of 50% employees and 50% employees. Civilian employees work under an employment contract and have only paid travel once every two years and financial assistance once a year (the amount depends on the region).
To understand, for example, in the Tomsk region, all employees wearing shoulder straps are mainly chiefs of fire departments and chiefs of supervisory activities, the rest are civilian employees, starting with firefighters on guard, drivers of fire engines, guard chiefs and dispatchers, ending with people carrying out everyday Activities: master of gas pumping station, responsible for hose bases, etc.
Reservations exempting workers from mobilization are not provided for. Of course, there are reservations for employees who are mostly office workers. But there’s one catch: they don’t run out of the office when an alarm sounds and don’t put out fires with their own hands. And now an order has come from the headquarters that 10% of the employees of units in the region should be given to local military commissars for mobilization. This is approximately 6-7 people from the combat crew of the unit directly involved in fire and rescue work.
This is the first wave. A couple more selections are expected. When and how much is unknown. In other areas the situation is similar.
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
