Podkarpackie to receive 1.7 billion zloty for civil protection in 2027-2031, mostly for shelters

Funding under the 2027-2031 programme

The Podkarpackie voivodeship will receive 1,708,780,000 zloty under the Programme of Population Protection and Civil Defence for 2027 to 2031, according to voivode Teresa Kubas-Hul, who spoke at a press conference on Friday. The Council of Ministers approved the programme by resolution on 6 October. Kubas-Hul said the allocation rises every year, from 304,710,000 zloty in 2027 to 378,319,000 zloty in 2031. At least 54% of the sum will go to protective infrastructure such as shelters, hiding places and places of temporary refuge. At least 20% is reserved for equipping protection bodies, and 75% of that share goes to the fire rescue system, split equally between the State Fire Service and the volunteer fire brigades (OSP).

Shelters and existing facilities

Kubas-Hul said about 5,000 places in collective protection facilities currently meet the required standards in the region. Local governments completed 31 tasks on this infrastructure last year and are carrying out 121 this year, according to the voivode. All collective protection facilities are to be marked by the end of the year. Former protective structures that fire services and building supervision consider to need extra spending will receive priority, and local governments may adapt buildings owned by others, for example by adding an emergency exit, ventilation or backup power. Kubas-Hul also asked municipalities to speed up decisions and orders, saying progress would be shown by year end.

Priority will also be given to those tasks whose implementation we started in 2025-2026 and which will continue in subsequent years.

Survival points, volunteer firefighters and civil defence staff

The programme requires at least one survival point in every commune, where residents could charge phones, plug in laptops and contact family during power cuts. Gen. Jozef Gdanski, director of the Security and Crisis Management Department of the Podkarpacki Voivodeship Office, said the office especially encourages urban municipalities to create them. He pointed to Ukraine as an example of such places working.

It worked in Ukraine. And I hope we will not need it, but if it were needed, we will try to make such places.

Kubas-Hul said OSP units will be assigned to tasks in four profiles: evacuation, logistics, medical and humanitarian. Support for OSP units will be linked to their specialisation and to purchases of equipment for specific tasks. Every commune is to have at least one OSP unit prepared for one of these profiles. Civil defence personnel will be prepared to keep basic services running in a crisis, including water supply and food deliveries, and the office is coordinating with military recruitment centres on staffing.