The largest international rescue exercises of the Red Cross in the history of Poland

Almost 300 rescuers and people from humanitarian support groups of the Red Cross from 7 EU countries participated in large-scale exercises in Malczyce in Lower Silesia (June 22 – 25). Continuous 30-hour simulations of rescue operations after a building disaster were conducted on the grounds of an abandoned factory.

This year's exercises began on the eve of the 164th anniversary of the Battle of Solferino, where the idea of the Red Cross was born. Henry Dunant, a young philanthropist from Geneva, happened to find himself on the battlefield: he began providing assistance to the victims, regardless of their nationality or political colors. “Heartwarming to see hundreds of people so engaged in the idea of the Red Cross. The Polish Red Cross Rescue System and the Humanitarian Aid Groups System are two very important elements of our new Strategy 2030” – said during the opening of the gathering the General Director of the Polish Red Cross, Katarzyna Mikołajczyk. The exercises included Red Cross rescuers from Poland, Croatia, Finland, Lithuania, Spain, Germany, and Hungary. One of the goals was to create a framework for international cooperation.

„The international dimension of these exercises is extremely important. If a building, natural, or humanitarian disaster occurs in Europe or anywhere in the world, we are always ready to spring into action, utilizing human resources in over 190 countries” – explains Pasi Raatikainen, a rescuer of the Finnish Red Cross. He arrived in Malczyce leading a four-member team from Helsinki. „We are here to learn as much as possible and apply this knowledge in action. In Finland, we do not have many exercises dedicated to urban search and rescue using rope techniques, so this year's scenarios in Poland are instructive for us”, adds Raatikainen. Like all Red Cross rescuers, he is a volunteer. He trains in his free time.

In Malczyce, skills in terrain searching, coordination of rescue actions, and evacuations from higher floors were perfected. The exercises were conducted continuously for 30 hours, including at night. Rescuers working in two shifts reached victims (their role was played by actors, not dummies), first trying to determine the condition of the injured. “

We have victims here with spinal injuries, with a large number of fractures, with metal elements embedded in their bodies. Rescuers must help about 300 people for over a day” – reports Marcin Kowalski, head of the Polish Red Cross Rescue Team.

The Polish Red Cross Rescue System consists of 19 specialized groups located throughout the country. Each group has trained rescuers prepared for actions in difficult conditions. Volunteers of the Polish Red Cross are equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment and professional medical supplies. The standard of equipment and skills of rescuers remains at a world-class level. Apart from supporting professional services (fire brigade, police, armed forces, etc.), rescuers participate in searches for missing persons, conduct relief actions during natural disasters and humanitarian crises, and medically secure mass gatherings. The exercises in Lower Silesia included Search and Rescue Groups with dogs, as well as a Fire Brigade unit from Wałbrzych.

In the largest joint training of rescuers in Poland's history, #RedCross utilized the Humanitarian Support Groups of the Polish Red Cross for the first time. The goal of these formations is to mitigate and eliminate the effects of armed conflicts, natural disasters, calamities, or road accidents. In one of the buildings near the train station, a support point was organized where volunteers practiced, among other things, creating a temporary shelter, providing material support to those in humanitarian crises, as well as giving psychological first aid.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has 16 million volunteers. They help make our world safer.

Photo. Maciej Zygmunt