On 3 July 2026, the Fire University welcomed Maciej Popowski, Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).
During the visit, Director-General Popowski met with the leadership of the Fire University, including Brigadier General Tomasz Klimczak, Rector-Commandant, and COL Paweł Fliszkiewicz, Vice-Rector-Commandant for Operations.
The meeting focused on the existing cooperation between the Fire University and DG ECHO, as well as opportunities for its further development.
A key topic of discussion was the implementation of the rescEU CBRN DSiM POLAND project, coordinated by the Fire University. The project involves the establishment of a modern rescEU CBRN Detection, Sampling and Identification Module (DSiM) designed to respond to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. The module is being developed within the structure of the Polish State Fire Service and will be based at the Fire University's Rescue Training Centre, Logistics and Development Base in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.
The project is funded by the European Union under the rescEU programme, which forms part of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) and aims to strengthen the response capacities of Member States in the face of major disasters and emergencies.
The module being developed in Poland will be one of the first specialised Detection, Sampling and Identification Modules (DSiM) in Europe and will significantly enhance the CBRN response capabilities of both Poland and the European Union.
The meeting reaffirmed the Fire University's strategic role as a partner of the European Commission in initiatives supporting the development of European civil protection. Discussions also covered the University's continued involvement in building and strengthening the capacities of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) through education, research, training activities and participation in international projects and initiatives.
The visit of the Director-General of DG ECHO marks another important step in strengthening cooperation between the Fire University and the European Commission and highlights the University's growing role in the development of the European civil protection system.
