From the report of County Fire Inspector Fire Master Bolesław Sysak, we can learn the history of the birth of the Fire Service in Bolesławiec. Nineteen Volunteer Fire Brigades were organized entirely from Germans. They came into being amid difficulties, without equipment, money or trained personnel.

During the first months of their operation, the firefighters responded to fires as many as three times a day. They had almost no equipment, because it had been stripped of parts and largely taken away by the Germans. The firefighters collected and secured manual equipment—hand pumps—that had been abandoned in forests and fields.

The Heroic Acquisition of a Motor Pump

The firefighters received their first motor pump and several dozen lengths of delivery hose from the Soviet Army in thanks for saving the burning Headquarters on Kolejowa Street. The fire master and his deputy, risking their lives, prevented the fire from reaching part of the basement where explosive charges were stored. Thanks to the firefighters’ luck and daring, they obtained the equipment they needed.

Repatriates Among the Firefighters

Only after repatriates from former Yugoslavia arrived was it possible to hold a course for commanders and reorganize the County Fire Service. In 1946, the factories that had begun operating in the county were already paying for commanders’ courses.
In 1947, fire service units were organized throughout the county. They included 899 volunteer firefighters, including six professional firefighters. There were already 69 fire service units.

Fire Stations: Dancing Parties and Fundraising

From January 1947 to November 1948, nine fire stations were renovated. Dancing parties and collections for renovations and equipment were organized there. Fire stations could be found in:

  • Gierałtów
  • Nowa Wieś
  • Wykroty
  • Warta Bolesławiecka
  • Ołdrzychów
  • Nowogrodziec
  • Kraszowice
  • Kraśnik Dolny
  • Raciborowice

At that time, the firefighters already had an automotive motor pump, motor pumps, hand pumps, a horse-drawn wagon, delivery hoses and extension ladders.
The firefighters put out forest and house fires and took part in flood-relief operations. They did all this using equipment acquired through their own efforts. It was not until October 1948 that the County National Council introduced compulsory fire insurance for movable property belonging to farms, which provided funds for the fire service.

The information comes from Adam Baniecki’s work: Bolesławiec County in 1945–1950