Exercises “STATION-2026”. Practical test of readiness to act in a crisis situation

Over 70 members of the PCK Humanitarian Aid Groups, representatives of uniformed services, public administration, and more than 250 role-players participated in the Voivodeship Exercises for Population Protection and Civil Defense "DWORZEC-2026". The event took place on May 29 at Łódź Fabryczna Station and was the main point of the IV National Gathering of the Humanitarian Aid System Units of the Polish Red Cross.

The exercises were organized jointly by the Łódź Regional Branch of the Polish Red Cross and the Łódź Voivodeship Office. Their aim was to test the collaboration of services, public administration, and humanitarian organizations in a situation requiring the mass evacuation of residents and the organization of humanitarian aid.

The scenario assumed a large fire occurring in Koluszki, which led to the necessity of evacuating residents of nearby buildings and schools. Some people were transported by train to Łódź, where a humanitarian aid point and temporary shelter were established at the Łódź Fabryczna Station.

The most dynamic phase of the exercises began with the arrival of the train carrying the evacuated residents. Role-players portrayed individuals with injuries, those in shock, requiring psychological support, or unwilling to cooperate. This allowed participants to test their skills in conditions as close as possible to a real crisis.

The exercises involved PCK Humanitarian Aid Groups from all over Poland. Their task was to receive the evacuated individuals, conduct triage, provide first aid, organize psychological support, and coordinate assistance efforts for those in crisis.

The exercises allowed for verification of the readiness of the PCK Humanitarian Aid Groups to act during mass incidents and humanitarian crises, as well as to test the functionality of aid points, organization of transport for the evacuated, and information flow among the engaged entities.

Representatives of the Police, the State Fire Service, Railway Security Guards, Łódź Agglomeration Railway, PKP Polish Railways, and public administration were also involved in the activities. Joint exercises allowed for testing procedures for cooperation, communication, and decision-making in a dynamically changing situation.

An additional element of the scenario was the detection of an unattended backpack at the aid point. The situation required the implementation of further safety procedures and the conduct of additional evacuation actions, testing the participants' ability to respond to unforeseen threats.

Regular exercises are an important element of preparation for real crisis situations. They allow for refining procedures, building readiness for action, and strengthening cooperation between services, public administration, and humanitarian organizations.

This year's scenario "DWORZEC-2026" demonstrated how complex actions related to the mass evacuation of residents and the organization of humanitarian aid can be. For the participants, it was a valuable experience that allowed them to test skills and procedures in conditions closely resembling actual rescue and humanitarian operations.