Since the beginning of 1996, general meetings of members have been held in all Volunteer Fire Service units in the Gmina i Miasto Nowogrodziec. A time for summaries is an excellent opportunity to draw attention to problems related to the municipality’s fire-protection responsibilities, and also a time to share the achievements of the Volunteer Fire Service units.
In 1996, some of them will ceremonially celebrate “round-number” anniversaries of their operations. Among others, the Volunteer Fire Services in Gierałtów and Nowogrodziec will celebrate their 50th anniversaries. 1945 marked the beginning of the operations of other Volunteer Fire Service units, including those in Wykroty and Milików. The remaining units will also celebrate their anniversaries.
In total, nine units are actively operating throughout the municipality, with 349 active, supporting and honorary members, as well as more than 103 members of youth teams. Among the pioneers who came to the municipality from both the east and the former Yugoslavia, and who brought the pre-war traditions of Fire Service activity to this area, were the firefighters Jan Zazulak, Michał Demkowicz, Michał Horochowski, Józef Komar, Franciszek Czerniak, Michał Szuter, Kazimierz Szczepański, Stanisław Zalipski, Antoni Kosior, Michał Szczepański, Eugeniusz Braszko, Feliks Piecyk, Alojzy Trębacz, Mikołaj Antoniszyn, Jan Stefan, Piotr Słabicki, Franciszek Szczepański and Michał Zadwórny. It is impossible to provide here a complete list of the firefighters who organized fire service activity during the difficult post-war years. The beginnings were difficult; equipment and supplies were lacking. Slowly and systematically, thanks to the resourcefulness of individual firefighters, the units acquired more and more of the equipment they needed. With the assistance of the District Fire Service Board, the activity took on the characteristics essential to this type of work. Reviewing the now-historical documents concerning the activities of the individual units, it should be emphasized how important this work was. Throughout all the years, in addition to operational and rescue activities connected with firefighting and flood response, the units conducted cultural and educational activities. They brought together people of different ages and with different views. They provided a place for the joint implementation of many projects. Many facilities were built, including the Firefighter’s House in Nowogrodziec, the Community Center and Fire Station in Czerna, and fire stations in Gierałtów and Zebrzydowa; these facilities were vibrant centers of community life. Today, the statutory responsibilities of the Volunteer Fire Services are the same as they were years ago. Saving lives, health and property remains the overriding goal. The range of hazards that Volunteer Fire Services must deal with is changing. Proper—meaning effective and safe for the firefighters themselves—performance of these duties requires appropriate professional and technical preparation. Firefighters undergo continuous specialist training, including courses in operating motor pumps, radio communications and unit command. Firefighting sports competitions held annually serve to improve firefighters’ operational skills, and the units from the municipality achieve successes in them. Among the most important were OSP Nowogrodziec’s second-place finish and OSP Gierałtów’s third-place finish at the Voivodeship Competitions in Cieplice in 1992. OSP Nowogrodziec’s second-place finish enabled it to take part in the qualifying competition for the Polish championships, held in 1993, where it placed 18th.
A major success was the participation of the Gościszów and Nowogrodziec MDP teams in the National MDP Qualifiers in Leszno for participation in international competitions held in Italy under CTIF rules. Every year, young firefighters achieve top places in Fire Safety Knowledge Tournaments (Wiktor Kulik took first place in the District Tournament and first place in the Voivodeship Tournament, where he qualified for the National Fire Safety Knowledge Tournament).
At present, the units’ supplies of equipment and uniforms are insufficient. The municipality’s characteristics—A-4 road, forested areas and farms—often make it necessary to provide very expensive and specialized equipment. The latest flooding of farms led to the conclusion that specialized equipment should also be supplemented in this area. The participation of individual units in operations conducted by the State Fire Service outside the municipality, as well as OSP Nowogrodziec’s entry into the National Rescue and Firefighting System on January 1, 1995, makes it necessary to select certain areas of specialization for the individual units. Despite these and other problems, the firefighters continue to be willing to act. They simply need to be helped and supported, without creating unnecessary “tensions.” Volunteer Fire Services are closest to us, and they are the ones who provide assistance at the first moment of danger. No one should be surprised that the public appreciates the firefighters’ daily efforts. The firefighters Michał Szuter, Józef Złotko, Władysław Mierzwa, Eugeniusz Braszko and others honored with the highest firefighting decorations should be mentioned. On the occasion of the anniversaries, all the firefighters deserve words of recognition and congratulations.
Prepared in cooperation with Gmina i Miasto Nowogrodziec OSP Commander Mirosław Szuter by Józef Kata