Poland

• Capital: Warsaw
• Population: 38.5 million
• Language: Polish

• 16 voivodships (provinces), divided into 272 powiats (counties) and 2489 communes
• deputy Minister of Interior and Administration is responsible for civil Protection
• the voivod is responsible for co-ordination of rescue operation in each voivodship 
• the Mayor has a coordinating function within each municipality 
• legislation requires authorities to make contingency plans, acquire special equipment and train personnel; authorities must allocate funds to facilitate this 
• military forces are obliged to provide assistance during difficult rescue activities 
• a national co-ordination centre is planned for large-scale catastrophes 
• the fire service is responsible for fire protection, technical assistance and work with the public authorities, voluntary and other organisations to provide rescue services; state EMS as well private bodies are involved in medical and care services 
• psycho-social support delivered during immediate, post-event and long-term phases 
• Poland has not yet adopted a regulation to sort out the rescue system and get already existing regulations together.

Polish Red Cross

• The Polish Red Cross works at national and international level
• the Polish Red Cross is auxiliary of public authorities. The National Society in co-operation with Authorities, engages in and develops tracing activities 
• the National Society has a voluntary rescue groups that can be deployed during immediate and second phases of the rescue operation in accordance with legislation 
• it organises the training of trainers for first aid in the country and it is one of the biggest trainers of the general public, reaching about 67,000 people annually 
• the strong network of Polish Red Cross (paid staff and volunteers organised in rescue groups and humanitarian units) spread across Polish territory in 284 local and 16 regional branches, allows quick response and mobilisation of it’s resources 
• the Polish Red Cross has experience from previous emergency situations. It was involved in the rescue operation during the one in a hundred years flood that struck Poland in 1997, and major flood on Vistula river in 2001 as well as other smaller scale emergency situations occurring every year
• the Polish Red Cross runs a net of warehouses 
• it delivers tracing activities 
• the Polish Red Cross has a right to launch appeals in accordance with the law 
• the Polish Red Cross supports the public authorities in the promotion of donating blood on a voluntary basis.