History of The Main School of Fire Service
Development of fire-service education from several-month courses through three-year college to five-year master degree studies is both, the determinant of changes which took place in fire safety in Poland, and the increase of requirements, which Polish Fire Service Officers face.
In the initial period of activity of Central Fire Service School (Centralna Szkoła Pożarnictwa - CSP) there were organised courses for Warsaw district firefighters. These were the following courses:
- portable pomp mechanics
- drivers - mechanics
- professional firefighters
During the Second World War two officer courses were organised.
After the World War II, an attempt was made to recive the fire sevice education along with general and professional education.
After the War, officer courses in Central Fire Service School were numbered to emphasize their continuity. So that the fourth course (first after the liberation) was organized in 1946 and lasted from 24th June to 30th October. It was meant for the Polish Army Officers who were responsible for fire safety in units. After the course military officers got also the licence of professional fire service officers.
Between 1946 and 1949, eight courses for professional fire service officers (one for Polish Army Officers) were organized in CSP and later in Central Fire Service Education Center (Centralny Ośrodek Szkolenia Pożarniczego - COSP). 314 participants the completed courses. In this Center there were also organised other short term courses for:
- portable pomp mechanics
- 3rd course for young Voluntary Fire Service Officers from Warsaw and Olsztyn Province
- Heads of fire safety departments
- District fire chiefs from Szczecin and Olsztyn Province
In May 1950, National Headquarters of Fire Brigades changed the Center's name into Central Fire Service Officers School (Centralna Oficerska Szkoła Pożaricza - COSP). The most important changes in fire service education, which were introduced in the first half of the fifties, were:
- Description of new organizational rules in fire service education
- Arrangment of type of education and time of their duration
- Preparation of syllabus for individual type of education and courses.
The School of Fire Service Officers (SOP) was brought into existence under the regulation of Minister of Internal Affairs No. 17/55 on 1st of September 1955. Initially the School was based in the building in Słowackiego Street, but due to housing difficultes it was moved to Jelonki District (67 Powstańców Śląskich Street - building of VII Unit of Warsaw Headquartes of Fire Service), and again moved back to Słowackiego Street in 1958. On 19th February 1960, according to organizational rules, School of Fire Service Officers became a separate organizational unit with financial individuality. The regulation defined the structure of school, responsibilities of its employees. In accordance with the principles SOP organised:
- Fire Service Officers daily studies
- Studies for sub - officers with secondary education and experience in fire safety (three- year studies)
- Improvement extramural part - time courses for officers who got their qualifications at officer courses (there were 2 such courses, 200 - 400 hours each)
Apart from daily, extramural, and improvement courses School of Fire Service Officers organised specialistic trainings.
Transforming SOP into WOSP (Fire Service Officers College) and giving it the status of the only academic - level school of fire service, obliged WOSP to conduct scientific research. WOSP established contacts with research and industry institutions in Poland and abroad. As a result, the employees had an opportunity to do doctor studies in Moscow.
On 13th July 1979, according to the Regualtion of the Cabinet an amendment to the regulation from 30th June 1971 was introduced. It authorized WOSP to confer master degrees in fire safety on the graduates. This authorization had never been in force because it was invalidated by the decision of the Cabinet after a sit - down strike in November 1981.
According to the Regualtion of the Cabinet, WOSP was replaced by Main School of Fire Service (SGSP) on 18th January 1982. Its obligation is to educate and upbring fire service officers, prepared to work as fire-safety experts. SGSP has got the right to confer a master and engineer degree on its graduates.
From 1st October 2000 Main School of Fire Service opened engineer studies for civilian students on the Faculty of Civil Safety Engineering. It educates experts in "civil protection against the results of natural and man made disasters for local goverment administration".