**Lublin Firefighters Return from Joint EU Mission in Spain**
*Lublin, Poland – 2 September 2026* – Twelve firefighters from the Lublin region completed a ten‑day deployment in Spain as part of the Ground Forest Fire Fighting (GFFF) Poland module, a component of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The mission, which ran from 20 to 31 August, combined training exercises with operational support for Spanish fire services battling large forest fires.
### Deployment details
The GFFF Poland rotation consisted of 35 personnel, of whom the Lublin contingent included twelve rescuers drawn from the Lublin Provincial Fire Brigade, the municipal commands in Lublin and Zamość, and the county commands in Kraśnik, Krasnystaw and Puławy. While in Spain, the Polish team operated in two sub‑units:
* **Team Alpha** – focused on aerial transport training at the Talavera de la Reina helicopter base.
* **Team Bravo** – responsible for communications systems.
Both teams remained on standby to assist with extensive forest‑fire incidents across the Iberian Peninsula.
### Training and operational experience
According to Senior Captain Konrad Lisowski of GFFF Lublin, the deployment “provided us with extensive experience in a fire environment that differs markedly from Poland.” He noted that daytime temperatures regularly exceeded 30 °C, night temperatures stayed above 20 °C, humidity was low, and strong winds combined with rugged, rocky terrain required distinct tactical approaches. The Polish firefighters employed drones equipped with thermal‑imaging cameras to monitor fire spread and to coordinate aerial and ground actions.
Lisowski added that the Spanish fire services typically initiate suppression with helicopters and water‑dropping aircraft, followed by ground crews and hand‑tool teams, emphasizing the importance of “full coordination of these actions.”
### Cooperation with Spanish services
Provincial Fire Commander Zenon Pisiewicz reported that Polish firefighters “supported Spanish units in hard‑to‑reach forest areas, taking part in both theoretical instruction and real‑world firefighting operations.” He highlighted the growing relevance of aerial assets—helicopters, firefighting aircraft, and unmanned aerial systems—for Poland’s own fire‑fighting strategy, especially as climate‑related conditions evolve.
### Certification and domestic preparedness
Governor Krzysztof Komorski, who attended a briefing on the mission, remarked that the GFFF Poland module had recently received official certification from the European Civil Protection Pool in Portugal. He linked the certification to practical experience gained during a fire in the Solska Forest earlier this year. “The competence and experience of our firefighters are recognized throughout the country,” the governor said, adding that the government will continue to address equipment and training needs.
Komorski also referenced substantial recent investments in fire‑service capabilities: “Over the past two to three years, nearly 300 million złoty have been allocated to equipment and fire‑fighting vehicles, sourced from civil‑defence funds, the state budget and EU programmes. In the last year
Article and image source: dziennikwschodni.pl
