The exercises began on October 5, 2026. Their main location is the site of the “SURMIN-KAOLIN” S.A. Mineral Resources Mine in Nowogrodziec, while some activities are also being conducted at the Bolesławiec County Office building.
The exercises were launched by Senior Brigadier Piotr Grzyb, Deputy Lower Silesian Provincial Commander of the State Fire Service in Wrocław, and Senior Brigadier Andrzej Śliwowski, County Commander of the State Fire Service in Bolesławiec.
The primary aim of “KAOLIN 2026” is to test the County Rescue Plan for Bolesławiec County and improve cooperation between the individual services and entities involved in rescue operations.
Many scenarios and demanding tasks
The first day of the exercises included a number of different rescue scenarios. Firefighters and rescuers carried out tasks related, among other things, to technical rescue and road accidents.
The exercises also included searching for people in the excavation area. Participants additionally practiced operations in excavations and on slopes, structural stabilization and the movement of heavy elements.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and UTVs were also used during the operations. Participants also practiced the organization and functioning of a command staff during prolonged rescue operations.
Units from Poland and Germany took part in the exercises
The forces and resources of the County Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Bolesławiec participated in “KAOLIN 2026”, along with Specialist Technical Rescue Groups from Bolesławiec, Wrocław and Świebodzin.
Volunteer fire service units from Bolesławiec County and the German THW rescue service also took part in the operations.
Among the local units participating in the exercises was OSP KSRG Gromadka. During the tasks, the uniformed personnel used, among other things, a Volvo GBA vehicle and an ATV with a rescue trailer.
For firefighters, the exercises are an opportunity to test procedures, cooperation with other units and exchange experiences. As participants emphasize, operations conducted in conditions as close as possible to real-life situations make it possible to better prepare for incidents requiring cooperation between many services.
This is not the end yet
“KAOLIN 2026” is scheduled as an exercise taking place on October 5 and 6, 2026. This means that after the first day of operations, another part of the test still lies ahead for the participants.