The Mazovia Voivodeship Sejmik has decided to increase the budgets of the support programs for the Volunteer Fire Brigades (Ochotnicze Straże Pożarne – OSP). This will make it possible to fund all correctly submitted applications. The total value of the aid for Mazovian firefighters will rise to over PLN 24 million, of which PLN 15.3 million will go to the 'OSP-2026' program and PLN 8.7 million to the 'Mazowieckie Strażnice OSP-2026' program. The decision allows co-financing to be granted to an additional 132 municipalities for the purchase of equipment and for the renovation and modernization of fire stations.
The funds for this purpose come from the Mazovian Voivodeship budget. As the region's authorities inform, the additional allocation was possible thanks to savings generated after the resolution of other competitions related to safety and fire protection. This means that municipalities that had been on reserve lists will also now receive support. Under the 'OSP-2026' program, the total amount of support will increase from nearly PLN 12.9 million to over PLN 15.3 million. These funds are intended for the purchase of equipment for OSP units. Co-financing in this pool will be received by an additional 109 municipalities, and the total amount of these top-ups will be nearly PLN 3.9 million.
The second program, 'Mazowieckie Strażnice OSP-2026', focuses on infrastructure. Its budget will increase to over PLN 8.7 million. As part of an additional PLN 759.6 thousand in support, 23 municipalities waiting for co-financing for the renovation and modernization of fire stations will receive aid. In total, after introducing the changes, support in both programs covers an additional 132 municipalities (109 in the equipment program and 23 in the investment program).
Volunteer Fire Brigades play a key role in the safety of local communities. There are about 2,000 such units operating in Mazovia, where over 75,000 male and female firefighters serve. Some of them are included in the National Rescue and Fire Fighting System. As Marshal Adam Struzik emphasizes, every złoty spent on the development of these formations is an investment in faster and more effective help for residents. Thanks to the additional funds, it is possible to equip firefighters with modern equipment and to improve working conditions by modernizing fire stations, which translates into a higher level of safety for the region's residents.