On May 5 at 1:58 p.m., our GBA 2.5/16 crew was dispatched to a sudden cardiac arrest (assisting the ambulance service) involving a man on Bolesławiecka Street in Trzebień. Upon arriving at the scene, the report was confirmed, and our rescuers immediately took over from the family and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation using rescue equipment and a defibrillator. After several minutes, a medical rescue team also arrived at the scene and continued the procedures. Unfortunately, despite prolonged resuscitation, it was not possible to restore the man’s vital functions.
The rescue operation was particularly difficult for our fellow firefighters because the person being resuscitated turned out to be a longtime firefighter of our unit, its recent commander, a respected colleague and teacher of younger generations of OSP firefighters in Trzebień—dh Stanisław Olchawa.
Stasiu, as we all called him, began serving in our unit at the beginning of the 1980s. He took part in most of the training sessions, fire and rescue sports competitions, and rescue and firefighting operations in which our unit participated. He looked after its Youth Fire Brigade, and in 2006 we elected him commander of OSP Trzebień. He was repeatedly honored and awarded for his community work. In 2009, among other distinctions, he received the highest possible award—the Golden Badge of the Association of Volunteer Fire Brigades of the Republic of Poland. In 2016, due to his health, he resigned from further serving as commander of our unit. Despite this, he continued to willingly support its activities, always offering good advice and taking part in all ceremonies.
His fellow firefighters add:
We extend our sincerest condolences to Stasiu’s grieving family.
Stasiu, we will miss you very much, but we are convinced that you will find your place on the other side. You will surely join the ranks of the knights of Saint Florian and continue to support us in our work “from up there,” just as you did until today. You will remain in our hearts and memory forever.