On January 28, during the daily shift change, at the District Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Bolesławiec, two firefighters who had decided to retire were bid farewell.
Capt. Robert Mistal, head of the personnel and organizational section, and Senior Fire Sergeant Paweł Nowak, senior special equipment operator, completed their final shift. “Thank you for several decades of service,” said Brigadier Andrzej Śliwowski, district commander of the State Fire Service in Bolesławiec.
The head of the Bolesławiec fire service recalled the professional careers of the two firefighters and highlighted their professional performance of official duties and commitment to representing the command in sporting competitions.
Capt. Robert Mistal began his service in the State Fire Service in the lowest position—as a trainee in preparatory service. After gaining experience and graduating from the Main School of Fire Service in Warsaw, he held higher-ranking positions. He progressed from rescuer to section commander, duty officer at the operational command post, and ultimately head of the personnel section. He represented the local command in firefighting sports, but achieved his greatest sporting successes in athletics, becoming the Jelenia Góra Voivodeship champion in the athletics pentathlon. He was awarded the bronze Medal for Long Service and the bronze Medal of Merit for Firefighting.
Senior Fire Sergeant Paweł Nowak. Throughout his service, he held positions involving driving or operating special equipment at the Rescue and Firefighting Unit in Bolesławiec. Since 2013, he had been a member of the Specialist Technical Rescue Group and repeatedly took part in rescue operations both in the district and throughout Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Responsible for keeping one of the command’s primary vehicles operationally ready, he demonstrated extensive knowledge and skills in vehicle mechanics. Outside firefighting, his passion is football, which is why for many years he represented the Bolesławiec command in State Fire Service firefighters’ indoor football competitions. He was awarded the bronze badge of Merit for Fire Protection.