National Response Drill on August 29: Thousands of Educational Points Across Poland

Poland’s Ministry of Interior and Administration will launch thousands of educational points nationwide on August 29 for a national response drill focusing on crisis readiness and alarm procedures.

National Response Drill on August 29

Across Poland, a National Response Drill will take place where residents can learn for free how to behave after an alarm is announced and where to find reliable information about threats. On this day, the Ministry of Interior and Administration, along with services, voivodes, local governments, and social organizations, will launch thousands of educational points as part of the Academy of Population Protection and Civil Defense.

What Will Happen on August 29?

The National Response Drill is scheduled for Saturday, August 29. The action is part of the general education program in the field of population protection and civil defense. This time, the most important aspect will be practicing the reaction to an alarm: from recognizing the signal, through checking the official announcement, to taking appropriate action.

Starting in the morning, points of the Academy of Population Protection and Civil Defense (OLiOC) are to operate in various parts of the country. Residents will be able to find them among others.

Voivodes, local governments, the State Fire Service, Volunteer Fire Brigades, the police, and social organizations are involved in organizing the events. Participation in the classes is to be free of charge.

Three Basic Rules Upon Hearing an Alarm

One of the main assumptions of the National Response Drill is to teach residents a simple procedure scheme. It boils down to three actions.

In practice, the point is that merely hearing the siren should not cause chaos and random actions. A resident should first of all know what signal they heard, and then check the information provided by the appropriate institutions. Only on this basis should they take further action.

Learning to Distinguish Signals

One of the practical elements of the training is to learn how to recognize alarm signals. Participants will learn, among other things, how to distinguish an alarm intended for the public from signals used locally by Volunteer Fire Brigade units.

This is also important from the point of view of the proper reaction of residents. The sound of the siren itself should not be the basis for drawing conclusions about the type of threat. The next step is to check the official announcement.

Another part of the training will concern information sources used during crisis situations. Participants are to learn how to use them.

The organizers also intend to draw attention to disinformation. During a crisis situation, unverified news, photos, recordings, or instructions regarding a supposed threat can quickly appear on the internet. One of the elements of the training will therefore be learning to verify information from reliable sources.

Practical Sequence of Actions

A resident hears an alarm siren. Instead of relying on social media posts, they first determine the type of signal and check official communications. If the services provide an instruction, they follow it. The training is to prepare residents for this sequence: recognizing the threat, verifying information, and proper reaction.

The OLiOC Academy is to prepare residents for crisis situations. The National Response Drill is part of a broader general education program conducted as part of the Academy of Population Protection and Civil Defense. The program is implemented in connection with the provisions of the law on population protection and civil defense. Its task is to increase the knowledge and practical skills of residents needed in the event of threats.

The Ministry of Interior and Administration points out that the Academy develops the content contained in the Safety Guide. The premise of the program is to place emphasis not only on providing information, but above all on practicing specific ways of proceeding. The ministry emphasizes that the goal of the undertaken actions is to build social resilience by practically preparing citizens to react in hazard situations.

Over 276 Thousand Participants So Far

The National Response Drill is not the first nationwide action organized as part of the OLiOC Academy. According to data from the Ministry of Interior and Administration, since the beginning of 2026, over 276,000 people have already participated in the Academy’s events. The June National First Aid Drill, among others, enjoyed great interest, with over 106,000 residents taking part. The next action focuses not only on providing first aid, but more broadly on ways of reacting to alarms and other hazard situations.

The exact locations of the classes will depend on individual towns and cities. Information about educational points and event schedules is to be published primarily by the local administration. Residents should look for information.

Educational materials related to safety are also to be available through the Academy.

Key Information for 2026 Drill

The National Response Drill will take place on Saturday, August 29, 2026, and will be conducted throughout Poland. In thousands of free points, residents will be able to acquire practical knowledge regarding hazard response. The most important scheme to be practiced during the action includes three steps: recognizing the alarm, checking the official announcement, and taking action in accordance with the provided instructions. Exact point locations and event times are to be provided by commune offices, voivodeship offices, and in the channels of the Academy of Population Protection and Civil Defense.