THE GROUP

The Warsaw Rescue Team (WGW s12) is made up of highly trained individuals mainly living and working in Warsaw area. Our backgrounds are tightly connected with medicine, rescue and climbing. We all are, despite our day jobs, ready to respond to an emergency at a moment’s notice. The team is "on call" and ready to respond 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

WGW s12 is one of first such groups in Poland. It came into being as an idea of a little group of people in 1999. It was legally registered as an association in 2001. From the beginning WGW s12 works for civil good and interest as a non-profit organization.

The main aims (named at the statute) are: health and life protection (especially in cases of life threatening situations), as well as education at the area of first aid and healthy living.

The above aims are realized by:

• creating and carrying on the Warsaw Specialist Search and Rescue Team (GRS) which consists only from active members-rescuers who are civilian volunteers
• conducting first-aid courses
• improving members’ skills and knowledge at any areas connected with activity of WGW s12
• integrating all members of the WGW s12 by initiating social meetings and trips
• membership at different local and international professional associations and societies.

THE PEOPLE

Today our group consists of 30 people with 15 active members-rescuers in it. The last ones are recruited twice a year and then trained during next half a year. After passing the final examination they are included to GRS, but that doesn’t mean that the training is completed, as we have exercises on regular basis. Almost all rescuers are certified paramedics, nurses or medical doctors. They are also highly trained in mountaineering skills. A unique aspect of GRS is that the team includes underground rescue certified members. That means that GRS is prepared in the event taking place in a cave or any other underground rescues for example in Warsaw underground or tunnels.

Apart from 15 active rescuers GRS has courtesy members and consultants who are highly qualified professionals in narrow disciplines connected with GRS activities, like: emergency medicine, technology of mountaineering equipment, chemistry, and others.

THE AREA OF ACTION

WGW s12 is an elite, volunteer group formed to assist Warsaw City Services in search and rescue work or any other disaster agency upon request. At the moment the group cooperates with Warsaw Underground and it’s main area of action are tunnels and stations of the underground.

PROTECTION OF POPULATION ACADEMY -> Go to: "Akademia Ochorny Ludności"

Courses for people from area of first aid, civil protection, behavior in a case of: car accident, mass casualty incident, natural disaster, terror attack. We also organize demonstrations on mass events, where we show the algorithms of behaving in life threatening cases and we popularize the use of AED.

RESCUEMEN FOR CHILDREN ACTION -> Go to: "Akcja Ratownicy Dzieciom"

Organization of education and sport plays for children. The education plays have the aim to educate citizen society and first aid. In sport plays we use ropes to make children time more attractive and to give them new experiences. We also cooperate with disabled children, where using ropes in plays is treated as rehabilitation.

CURRENT DIFFICULTIES

The organization’s biggest achievement was creating a legal and close cooperation with existing local administration structures. GRS s12 is intentioned to be a participant in professional search and rescue procedures in Warsaw. As GRS acts in different, emergency situations which are unpredictable and mostly unusual there is a strong need for practicing medical and alpinism skills in various situations as close to reality as possible.

Whole equipment of the association comes from private sources or was founded by some commercial actions carried out by our members. Unfortunately it is used up with any our action or training. As is commonly known such kind of equipment is very expensive. This is still the biggest barrier for us. The most needed is used equipment which could be used in preparing accident scenes. At the moment WGW s12 is desperately seeking for any kind of support in this area (medical, alpinism equipment, used medical and fireman transport vehicles, any other rescue equipment).

If you would like to help in creating and training our group, please contact Anna Chlebowska. Even a small assistance can make a notable impact and benefit in many ways.