About the Fire University

The foundation act was laid on October 31, 1937, and this date is considered the official start of the building’s construction. Work began immediately and progressed rapidly, with the shell of the building completed in less than a year. By 1938, the living quarters for the permanent staff, garages, workshop spaces, and rooms designated for laboratory and research purposes were all ready. The first course, which admitted 37 participants, lasted from March 1 to July 31, 1939, and all attendees completed their training on time. The institution in question was named the Central Firefighting Training Centre (Centralny Ośrodek Wyszkolenia Pożarniczego). This name was used until the end of 1939.

In 1940, it was planned to conduct a year-long officer course, which was not implemented due to the outbreak of war. The education of officers ceased until 1942. Then, as fire protection activities expanded, the Central Fire School (Centralna Szkoła Pożarnicza) was established, tasked with training officers, non-commissioned officers, and firefighters from the General Government area. It was the only fire school in the Polish territories during the occupation. The school was directly subordinate to the Technical Head of Fire Service.

Between 1942 and 1944, the school conducted qualification courses, including two officer courses. The participants were recruited from the General Government area. Since all of them already had non-commissioned officer training and several years of service in professional fire brigades, practical classes and operational drills were kept to a minimum, while the number of lectures was increased. In addition to their training, the participants served on active duty in the school’s Experimental Unit, staffing the fire engines designated for the city's air defense service. Only a small number of hours were allocated for facility management tasks and the maintenance of firefighting equipment.

In the early period of the Central Fire School’s activity, courses for firefighters from the Warsaw district were also organized. These included courses for motor pump mechanics, driver-mechanics, and professional firefighters. The courses lasted from several weeks to several months and were funded by the regional headquarters that delegated the candidates. During the occupation, a dozen or so such courses were organized, including supplementary courses for professional non-commissioned officers, basic professional firefighter courses, and vehicle courses.

After World War II, with the resumption of general and vocational education, efforts were also made to rebuild fire education. The Central Fire School was reopened on June 1, 1946, and in the first half of that year—regardless of the ongoing construction works at the school—two officer firefighting courses were conducted. The Central Fire School, named as such during the German occupation, only conducted firefighting courses and, under the educational law, was not technically a school. It could only become one after extending the training period. At that time, with a shortage of professional fire officers, inadequate facilities, and financial difficulties, such a solution was not possible. Therefore, in August 1948, the name Central Firefighting Training Centre from 1938 was reinstated.

In 1950, the Headquarters of the Fire Service changed the name of the Fire Training Central Centre to the Central Fire Officers’ School, which became an independent organizational and budgetary unit directly subordinate to the Chief Commander of the Fire Service. Additionally, branches of the school were established in Łódź, Poznań, Bielsko-Biała, and Gdańsk.

On November 23, 1951, the Chief Commander of the Fire Service issued a regulation on the temporary organization of fire service training. Fire service training was divided into: higher vocational, second-level vocational (officer), first-level vocational (non-commissioned officer), professional firefighter, instructional, and informational. Completion of the second-level vocational (officer) training entitled graduates to the rank of officer and the title of fire technician. Based on this regulation, shortened officer courses were discontinued and, until the end of 1956, only year-long officer courses were organized. The educational requirements for candidates were further lowered, so in practice, individuals with only primary education were accepted for officer courses.

From August 1951, graduates of qualification courses were awarded the rank of second lieutenant, and later, after the introduction of new fire service ranks, the rank of aspirant. From June 1954, those who completed the course with a very good result were awarded the rank of aspirant; with a good result, the rank of senior fire sergeant; and with a satisfactory result, the rank of fire sergeant. Graduates who obtained the rank of senior fire sergeant or fire sergeant, after six months of service in fire protection units, were granted the officer rank by their superiors.

Specialist training was also conducted at the Central Fire Officers’ School and its branches. During this period, the State Economic Planning Commission officially recognized the firefighting profession, and firefighting education was incorporated into the vocational education system. Gradually, the form of officer training changed from course-based to school-based.

The School of Fire Officers was a post-secondary school—initially offering a 2-year program, later extended to 3 years. After subsequent curriculum and system modernization, SOP eventually became a 4-year institution. The inauguration of didactic and educational activities began on September 1, 1955.

The School of Fire Officers was originally located at 52/54 Słowackiego Street, then moved to a facility in Warsaw’s Jelonki district (67 Powstańców Śląskich Street), and in 1958 returned to the building on Słowackiego Street.

SOP provided the following types of education:

• full-time training for fire officers;
• from 1961, training for non-commissioned officers who had a secondary education and specific experience in fire protection (three years of study);
• supplementary part-time education for officers who obtained professional qualifications through officer courses (there were two such sessions, each lasting from 200 to 400 hours).

In addition to full-time, part-time, and supplementary education, the post-secondary School of Fire Officers also organized supplementary courses (conducted from 1959–1963), fire prevention inspector courses for graduates of higher technical education institutions with qualifications relevant to fire protection (two such courses were held), and radiological protection courses for fire officers.

By order No. 3/60 of the Chief Commander of the Fire Service, dated February 19, 1960, the School became a separate organizational and budgetary unit, managed solely by the School Commander, who was appointed and dismissed by the Chief Commander of the Fire Service and directly reported to him. Cadets and trainees were assigned to school sub-units, which consisted of companies divided into platoons and sections.

Until 1966, studies at SOP lasted three years, with the final year dedicated to field internships in fire protection units. After completing the coursework and internship, the cadet submitted a thesis to a committee appointed by the Chief Commander of the Fire Service, which he then had to defend. The School Commander would then request the Chief Commander to issue a diploma and award the first officer rank. The cadet was promoted to the rank of fire aspirant (between 1955 and 1973, cadets, upon completing military training at the SOP Military Study, also received a military non-commissioned rank). In the 1966/67 academic year, the duration of studies at SOP was extended to four years.

At the request of the Minister of Internal Affairs dated May 30, 1970, the Minister of Forestry and Wood Industry granted permission for the School of Fire Officers to use, free of charge for 25 years, a forest area of 5.25 hectares located in Kampinos National Park, in the village of Zamczysko Nowe. The area contained former sawmill buildings, most of which were designated for demolition.

In July 1970, an agreement was concluded between the Directorate of Kampinos National Park and the School of Fire Officers. On this basis, work began to develop a model base for forest and national park fire protection on this site. The base was also intended to serve as a backup location for the school. Work began in the same year—the designated buildings were demolished, the remaining ones were renovated, the facility was electrified, and a deep well was constructed on the premises.

The work to transform the post-secondary School of Fire Officers into a higher education institution was carried out under the direction of Colonel Krzysztof Smolarkiewicz, Commander of the School of Fire Officers. On June 30, 1971, by regulation of the Council of Ministers, the Higher School of Fire Officers (WOSP) was established and became subject to the Higher Education Act of November 5, 1958 (Journal of Laws No. 4, item 31 of 1969).

WOSP was led by a commander with the authority of a university rector, appointed to the position by the Minister of Internal Affairs upon the request of the Chief Commander of the Fire Service. An advisory board was established to assist the commander in the school’s day-to-day management. The deputy commanders were appointed by the Minister of Internal Affairs upon the recommendation of the school’s commander. The deputy for scientific and didactic affairs had the authority of vice-rector and also managed the academic and didactic division. The second vice-rector—head of the line division—was the deputy commander for line operations. The deputy for administrative and technical affairs was responsible for administrative and technical matters. Since 1972, the School Council functioned as an advisory and consultative body. The Pedagogical Council also advised the commander on didactic and educational matters. The first and only Commander of WOSP was Colonel Krzysztof Smolarkiewicz.

WOSP, as a single-faculty institution, was granted the right to award its graduates diplomas of completion of higher vocational education and confer the professional title of fire protection engineer in a specified specialization. Its didactic activities began in the 1971/72 academic year. The education and training of fire engineer officers at WOSP was carried out in both full-time and part-time systems. Studies at the Higher School of Fire Officers were interdisciplinary. Education was provided in three main specializations: preventive, command and tactics, and technical. On July 13, 1979, an amendment to the regulation on the establishment of WOSP authorized the School to award its graduates the title of Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering in a specified specialization. This privilege was not realized, as by decision of the Council of Ministers on November 30, 1981, the Higher School of Fire Officers was dissolved.

The events leading to the dissolution of WOSP took place between November and December 1981. The fundamental cause of the tense situation was WOSP’s position within the Polish higher education system. WOSP students demanded that the school be included under the Higher Education Act and opposed its subordination to the provisions of the Military Education Act. They began a sit-in strike, which was joined by employees associated with NSZZ "Solidarity." The demands were not met. On December 2, 1981, special units of the Citizens’ Militia entered the school, forcing cadets and employees to end the occupation strike. The cadets, offering no resistance, gathered in the auditorium, while civilians and school staff who had joined the strike gathered in the gymnasium. The cadets were transported to railway stations and to the dormitory in Jelonki. A group of 229 cadets arrived at the Main Building of the Warsaw University of Technology, where they were taken under the care of the UKS NZS and KZ NSZZ "Solidarity" and decided to continue the strike in the form of a “wandering occupation strike.”

During its ten years of operation, WOSP educated 948 fire engineer officers, including 625 in full-time studies and 323 in part-time studies. In 1981, it was equipped with 17 classrooms and laboratories.

On January 17, 1982, the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution to establish the Main School of Fire Service.

The regulation of the Council of Ministers from January 18, 1982 (Journal of Laws 1982, No. 3, item 21) stipulated that the Main School of Fire Service (SGSP) would educate and train specialist personnel, fire service officers who, after graduation, would be prepared to take up positions requiring higher education in the field of fire protection. The SGSP was supervised by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The school was granted the authority to award its graduates the titles of Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering or Engineer in Fire Protection in a specified specialty.

The regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Science, Higher Education, and Technology from January 22, 1982 (Journal of Laws 1982, No. 4, item 27) defined the types of studies offered by the school. These included master’s degree programs in fire protection, postgraduate studies, and professional development courses. In addition, the school was authorized to offer studies and special courses in specialized scientific disciplines related to fire protection.

Classes at SGSP began on February 1, 1982.

During more than forty years of its existence, SGSP has become a place for training highly specialized personnel, as well as an institution with enormous research potential, modern laboratories, and highly qualified academic staff. The university has responded to the needs of entrepreneurs by offering a wide range of research, expert opinions, and services using the equipment and expert knowledge of SGSP’s academic staff. Research projects conducted at the university have found application in industry and the economy, as well as among public institutions and individuals interested in solving safety-related issues.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Act of 14 April 2023 on the change of names of state service universities supervised by the minister responsible for internal affairs, amending the Act on the Police, the Act on the Border Guard, the Act on the State Fire Service, and certain other acts, as of today, the Main School of Fire Service (SGSP) is now named the Fire University (APoż). The new name of our University reflects and emphasizes its educational and scientific development.

The mission of the Fire University is to generate knowledge and the skills to disseminate and apply it, by educating the future and current officer staff of the State Fire Service (PSP) to meet the needs of the dynamic development of fire protection, including rescue operations, as well as highly qualified civilian personnel in the assessment of civilizational and natural hazards, and in the protection of life, health, property, the environment, and other values against such threats. The University also aims to instill in its students a sense of patriotism, dedication in service and work, respect for service and work discipline, and to conduct research that significantly enriches knowledge related to the safety of citizens in the field of public safety, particularly in safety engineering, fire protection, and civil protection.