Promotional picnic and presentation of a new fire truck in Klukowo

On 31^st August, a promotional picnic was held in Klukowo (Podlaskie, PL) as part of the PL-UA project ‘Joint actions to improve cooperation in preventing natural disasters and climate threats in the cross-border area of Poland and Ukraine’ (acronym FirePrev). The event attracted residents from nearby towns and villages, providing an opportunity for the local community to integrate, learn about safety and emergency response, and, above all, to present a new fire truck purchased thanks to funding from the PL-UA Programme.

Many attractions awaited participants during the picnic. Members of the Piętki-Gręzki Volunteer Firefighters Unit (VFU/OSP) gave a demonstration of professional first aid techniques. It attracted a lot of interest from both children and adults, and at the same time provided an excellent lesson in basic yet extremely important rescue skills. At the promotional stand, participants had the opportunity to learn about the project and talk to those involved in its implementation.

However, the presentation of the new fire truck aroused the most excitement. Firefighters proudly showed off their new acquisition, which will significantly improve safety not only in the village itself, but also in the wider area. Anyone who wanted could enter the cab, see the specialist equipment up close, and the youngest visitors took souvenir photos.

I am delighted that we can celebrate such a special moment together today – the presentation of our new rescue and firefighting vehicle. This is a huge event for us, one we have been waiting for many years. Until now, we have been using our trusty STAR from 1980 – a wonderful vehicle that has served us well for a long time. It has been involved in many operations, but let’s be honest – it has done its job and it was time to give it a well-deserved retirement. Now we have equipment fit for the 21st century. Our new vehicle is the pride of our unit – modern, fast, well-equipped and, above all, safe for our colleagues, who often risk their health and lives to help others – said Kamil Uchan, Chairman of the Piętki-Gręzki VFU/OSP.

The VFU/OSP chairman also emphasised that the new vehicle will not be used solely for firefighting:

This is an example of how Polish-Ukrainian cooperation can effectively improve the safety of border residents. Three local government units from Poland and Ukraine and the 1^st State Fire and Rescue Unit of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Volyn Oblast are involved in the implementation of the FirePrev project. Its main objective is to strengthen cooperation between rescue services operating in the Polish-Ukrainian border area in order to respond more effectively to emerging threats related to forest fires and to deal with natural disasters such as floods and storms. Polish partners in the project will purchase a total of 7 rescue and firefighting vehicles (light, medium and heavy), while Ukrainian partners will purchase 2 firefighting tankers and motor pumps, 26 sets of protective clothing, as well as a set of equipment for firefighters. As part of the project activities, the partners have also planned two training courses, in which 160 rescuers from both sides of the border are to participate. There will also be 2 conferences, picnics for residents promoting the project and its results, as well as an educational campaign entitled ‘For a clean environment’.

The total value of the project is 2,742,883.89 EUR including 2,468,595.50 EUR of PL-UA Programme co-financing.

More about the FirePrev project can be found HERE.