On Monday, 31 October, Government Plenipotentiary for the Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad Jan Dziedziczak handed out promises to youth fire teams from Gostyń and Leszno (Greater Poland).

The ceremony took place in front of the new Volunteer Fire Department of the Lipno fire station. It was attended by children and teenagers dressed in volunteer fire brigade uniforms. Representatives of local governments and the professional guard were also present. 

At the beginning of September, the government decided to allocate PLN 25 million from the state budget reserves to equip youth and children’s fire teams. The largest share of these grants was awarded to the Greater Poland voivodeship, for which over PLN 4.2 million has been dedicated. 

The Gostyń county was allocated over PLN 100,000. This sum will be used to purchase uniforms and all the necessary training equipment. 

“Youth fire teams are the treasure of Poland. They are made up of active people who want to help others, serve their homeland, and learn something new,” – Minister Dziedziczak said during his speech.

As Pope Francis says, it is worth getting up from the couch to do something for another human being. This is what the patriotism of the twenty-first century is all about,”- he added.  

https://twitter.com/MSWiA_GOV_PL/status/1578033195362107392?s=20&t=aMnLW5MavsV-cbwnS75mtQ

The Youth Fire Teams (Młodzieżowa Drużyna Pożarnicza) are an organisational unit of the Volunteer Fire Department established to increase the interest of young people in social activities for fire protection and to prepare them for selfless service and voluntary work. Its members can be both girls and boys up to 18 years of age. 

Image: Anna Szklarska-Meller

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen