The number of soldiers on standby to help in connection with the flood situation has increased by one and a half thousand – to four thousand. About 500 servicemen are already involved in activities, including: in Głuchołazy and in the Kłodzko Valley – said Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
The Minister of National Defense provided information on the military’s actions related to the flood situation during a conference on Saturday evening in Krakow, following a briefing by the commander of the 111th Light Infantry Battalion.
He said that all plans of the Ministry of National Defense have been launched in case of need to help the services subordinate to the Ministry of Interior and Administration, to help the population and to help local governments. He assured the cooperation of operational troops and territorial defense.
At the request of the voivodes, Territorial Defence Forces or other types of troops are called into action. We respond quickly. Five voivodeships have declared their readiness to accept help from the Polish army.
– he said Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
He reported that the number of military personnel on maximum alert was increased by 1,500.
There are already 4,000 soldiers ready to help
– Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed and added that about 500 soldiers have already been hired to provide assistance, among others in Głuchołazy, Kłodzko Valley, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Legnica.
The army is always ready and will provide assistance
– he emphasized.
Four task forces of the Territorial Defence Forces were established in the following voivodeships: Lower Silesia, Silesia, Lesser Poland and Greater Poland. The WOT brigades were put on high alert – the Podkarpackie, Przemyśl, Lublin, Świętokrzyskie and Bug brigades.
A decision was also made to create three more engineering groups of operational troops (in addition to the five established yesterday). The equipment was put into operation, including: two more helicopters are on standby in Deblin. Eight are ready as of yesterday – in Nysa and the Kłodzko Valley they were used to evacuate people and support the evacuation of stud farms. Sapper boats are also being launched, the head of the Ministry of National Defense said.
He assured that it is possible to activate more army personnel reserves – in the 6 and 12-hour mode it is possible to multiply the number of soldiers required for use.
Of course the army is there to help, the main burden of action lies with the State and the volunteer firefighters – these are units created for this type of activity.
– observed the Deputy Prime Minister.
According to him, the WOT soldiers are in full readiness and if it is necessary to send units from less threatened voivodeships, for example, Małopolska to Lower Silesia or to the Opole region, the army is ready for this – the Minister of Defense assured and noted that each request from the voivodes to the Ministry of National Defense in this regard will be considered positively.
Krzysztof Jak Klęczar, Voivode of Małopolska, reported during the briefing that in the last 24 hours the State Fire Service intervened more than 300 times in Małopolska; almost half of the interventions concerned Kraków and the rest concerned western Małopolska, mainly Oświęcim and Wadowice counties.
The voivode said that “the last 24 hours in Małopolska, taking into account what happened in the neighboring voivodeships – Opole, Lower Silesia – must be considered as having passed peacefully.”
However, this cannot lull our vigilance.
– he pointed.
According to the voivode, the interventions consisted mainly of pumping water. In Kraków, firefighters pumped water from the hospital staff room. Żeromskiego and the flooded Prądnicka street under the railway viaduct.
This was resolved quickly, without any negative consequences. In the case of the hospital, there were no interruptions to its operations.
– observed Klęczar.
We are prepared both in terms of equipment and personnel to act. The forecasts for Małopolska are also slightly more optimistic than they were two days ago, but we remain prepared because we are aware of what Małopolska has experienced in recent years.
– emphasized the voivode.
tkwl/PAP/X
