COMPETENCES OF MEMBERS OF VOLUNTARY FIRE BRIGADES IN THE FIELD OF NEW REGULATIONS RESULTING FROM THE ACT ON CIVIL PROTECTION AND CIVIL DEFENCE, BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF WARSAW WEST COUNTY

<ns3:p>The entry into force of the Act of 5 December 2024 on civil protection and civil defence significantly expanded the range of tasks assigned to volunteer fire brigades, raising questions about the entity’s preparedness to carry them out. The aim of the research was to assess the level of knowledge, awareness and preparedness of members of the Volunteer Fire Service to perform tasks resulting from the Act on Civil Protection and Civil Defence, using Warsaw West County as an example. The research process involved an analysis of legal acts, data from the SWD-ST system and a diagnostic survey conducted among Volunteer Fire Service firefighters. The results of the research indicate that the implementation of tasks arising from the Act occurs under conditions of limited training and infrastructure support. The main barrier to implementing new tasks is the lack of a dedicated training system and of sufficient training infrastructure at the local level. The results obtained constitute a diagnosis of the current state of affairs and can serve as a basis for designing training programmes and planning infrastructure investments tailored to the real needs of OSP units in the area of civil protection.</ns3:p>