On January 16, 2023, Deputy Chief Commander of the State Fire Service, Brigadier General Adam Konieczny, attended a ceremonial assembly at the Provincial Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Wrocław. During the meeting, he presented officers of the State Fire Service in Bolesławiec with distinctions from the Chief Commander of the State Fire Service and handed over 13 rescue-and-firefighting vehicles and a carrier with a powder firefighting container for State Fire Service units in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
Chief Commander of the State Fire Service, Brigadier General Andrzej Bartkowiak for exemplary conduct that saved human life and behavior worthy of emulation, inspiring admiration and social respect, honored: Senior Aspirant Krzysztof Boluk, Senior Fire Master Paweł Leń, Section Firefighter Kamil Krzyśko, and Firefighter Damian Ludziak.
The headquarters stated:
The distinction was awarded for the firefighters’ conduct and the speed of their intervention, which made it possible to save two human lives, namely:
- On November 26, 2022, a team of firefighters from the Rescue and Firefighting Unit in Bolesławiec was called to an incident involving a petroleum-based substance on the road. While en route, at the level of Leśna Street in Bolesławiec, [mundurowi]they saw people calling for help and a man lying on the pavement. The man was unconscious and showed no signs of life. It turned out that he had suffered cardiac arrest. The firefighters began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The casualty was defibrillated as many as five times. In the meantime, the medical rescue team was notified. The firefighters and paramedics fought for the man’s life. As a result of these actions, the man regained consciousness in the ambulance and was taken to hospital.
- On November 29, 2022, firefighters from the same shift were called, due to the lack of an available ambulance, to an unconscious woman approximately 50 years old. Upon arrival at the scene, the firefighters found the woman sitting on the pavement and leaning against a low wall. By then, the woman was conscious; she complained of feeling unwell and dizziness. The firefighters immediately began providing assistance. During the procedures, the woman lost consciousness again. The firefighters connected a defibrillator to analyze her heart rhythm; defibrillation was not recommended. They placed the casualty in a position appropriate to her condition. Because her symptoms indicated significant dehydration, a firefighter-paramedic also established intravenous access. After a while, the woman regained consciousness. Importantly, in this incident, after learning that the Medical Rescue Team had been dispatched from another locality approximately 30 km away and that the waiting time would be extended, the Rescue Operation Commander, in consultation with the Medical Coordinator of the Provincial Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Wrocław, decided to evacuate the casualty from the scene and transport her to the Emergency Department at the hospital in Bolesławiec.
(Photos: Janusz Wilk).