State Fire Service

State Fire Service
Państwowa Straż Pożarna; PSP
	; State Fire Service headquarters in Warsaw
Agency overview
Formed	1 July 1992
Preceding	Zawodowa Straż Pożarna;
Jurisdiction	Poland
Headquarters	Warsaw
Parent agency	Ministry of Interior and Administration (Poland)
Website	http://www.straz.gov.pl/

State Fire Service (Polish: Państwowa Straż Pożarna, PSP) is a fire fighting professional service of Poland. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Interior. The history of fire fighting services in Poland dates to the medieval times. The modern State Fire Service is based on the 1992 legislation.

State Fire Service is a professional firefighting service (24h) that covers whole territory from their stations in cities and towns. In all the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland - powiat (county, district), fire brigades operating like Komenda Powiatowa Państwowej Straży Pożarnej with fire brigade command and also one or several fire stations (Jednostka Ratowniczo-Gaśnicza JRG). They belong to the 16 main Voivodeships departments headquarters (Komenda Wojewódzka Państwowej Straży Pożarnej).

Professional firefighters units (PSP, JRG) respond immediately after the alarm although in the districts are often assisted by volunteers associated in Voluntary Fire Service (Ochotnicza Straż Pożarna, OSP) with more like 15 700 fire stations in Poland. OSP units are called only if it necessary for help professional firefighters units (PSP, JRG).

Service flag for Polish government vessels: Flag of fire-fighting vessels

Structure[]

National Headquarters of the State Fire Service (Warsaw)
- Provincial Headquarters in Białystok
- Provincial Headquarters in Gdańsk
- Provincial Headquarters in Gorzów Wielkopolski
- Provincial Headquarters in Katowice
- Provincial Headquarters in Kielce
- Provincial Headquarters in Kraków
- Provincial Headquarters in Lublin
- Provincial Headquarters in Łódź
- Provincial Headquarters in Olsztyn
- Provincial Headquarters in Opole
- Provincial Headquarters in Poznań
- Provincial Headquarters in Rzeszów
- Provincial Headquarters in Szczecin
- Provincial Headquarters in Toruń
- Provincial Headquarters in Warszawa
- Provincial Headquarters in Wrocław

Each Provincial Headquarters supervises District Headquarters (335 in 2019) and fire-fighting units.

Main School of Fire Service
Central School of State Fire Service in Częstochowa
School of Aspirants of the State Fire Service in Kraków
School of Aspirants of the State Fire Service in Poznań
Non-commissioned Officers School of the State Fire Service in Bydgoszcz

Voluntary Fire Service[]

Voluntary Fire Service of Zbludowice

In Poland local inhabitants may create a (Ochotnicza Straż Pożarna, OSP) under proper law. Such volunteer fire service may receive a financial help from the government for the equipment and staff training. In certain areas of Poland almost every town and village has a volunteer fire service. Volunteer fire service is fully integrated with the emergency system. Any call to fire emergency number is routed to the nearest State Fire Service (PSP) station in powiat (Komenda Powiatowa PSP). After the alarm, the volunteers going to the fire station (OSP) and then responding.

Ranks and rank insignia[]

I corps - enlisted rank

Strażak Firefighter Private E1	Starszy strażak Senior firefighter Private E2

II corps - non-commissioned officers

Sekcyjny Squad Leader Private First Class	Starszy sekcyjny Senior Squad Leader Specialist	Młodszy ogniomistrz Junior Firemaster Corporal	Ogniomistrz Firemaster Staff-Sergeant	Starszy ogniomistrz Senior Firemaster Sergeant 1st Class

III corps - aspirants

Młodszy aspirant Junior Aspirant Sergeant 1st Class	Aspirant Aspirant Master Sergeant	Starszy aspirant Senior Aspirant Sergeant-Major	Aspirant sztabowy Staff Aspirant Command Sergeant Major

IV corps - junior officers

Młodszy kapitan Junior Captain Second Lieutenant	Kapitan Captain Lieutenant	Starszy kapitan Senior Captain Captain

V corps - senior officers

Młodszy brygadier Junior Brigadier Major	Brygadier Brigadier Lieutenant Colonel	Starszy brygadier Senior Brigadier Colonel

VI corps - generals

Nadbrygadier Chief Brigadier Brigadier General	Generał brygadier Brigadier General Major General

Source:^[1]

Firefighters from State Fire Service (PSP, JRG) use red helmets. Firefighters from Voluntary Fire Service (OSP) use white helmets.

References[]

^ ROZPORZĄDZENIE RADY MINISTRÓW z dnia 24 kwietnia 2012 r. w sprawie stopni wojskowych, Straży Granicznej, Biura Ochrony Rządu, Służby Celnej, Państwowej Straży Pożarnej, Agencji Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego, Agencji Wywiadu, Służby Wywiadu Wojskowego i Służby Kontrwywiadu Wojskowego odpowiadających stopniom policyjnym 2016-10-15.

External links[]

Official homepage, English language version

[1] ROZPORZĄDZENIE RADY MINISTRÓW z dnia 24 kwietnia 2012 r. w sprawie stopni wojskowych, Straży Granicznej, Biura Ochrony Rządu, Służby Celnej, Państwowej Straży Pożarnej, Agencji Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego, Agencji Wywiadu, Służby Wywiadu Wojskowego i Służby Kontrwywiadu Wojskowego odpowiadających stopniom policyjnym 2016-10-15.

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