PPHS at the PROTEGA: training, competences and readiness to act

Effective crisis response begins long before a threat emerges. It starts with people: their competences, their understanding of procedures and their ability to work together when action is needed under pressure. This perspective was one of the important themes of PROTEGA – the Civil Protection and Civil Defence Fair in Poznań, Poland.

Polish Platform for Homeland Security joined this conversation by presenting its activities, ongoing projects and training programmes for people and institutions responsible for security. At the PPHS stand, participants could learn more about our projects, training and activities that support the development of competences needed in situations requiring efficient, coordinated action.

The role of training in building genuine readiness to act was discussed by Lt Col Cezary Mecwaldowski, retired Prison Service officer and PPHS expert in cooperation with the Prison Service. In his presentation, “Augmented and Virtual Reality in Specialist Training”, he showed how VR technologies can support learning how to react, make decisions and follow procedures in conditions that are as close to real life as possible. The examples discussed included training delivered as part of the MIRAD and VR4React projects.

Crisis preparedness was also addressed in a broader context—from the perspective of local government, business and residents. This was the focus of the expert debate “How to Prepare Civil Defence from the Perspective of Local Government, Business and the Public?”. The discussion included, among others, Rafał Pawłowski, Deputy Mayor of the Town and Municipality of Pobiedziska, and Łukasz Kielban, facilitator of the Sectoral Council for Competences – Protection and Security of Property and Persons, and PPHS Content and Communications Lead.

The debate particularly highlighted the importance of competences, continuity of operations and the ability to replace key personnel when needed. These factors play a major role in the practical preparedness of institutions, businesses and local communities: clear allocation of responsibilities, maintaining essential processes and the ability to cooperate when pressure becomes real.

For PPHS, PROTEGA was an opportunity to discuss security in a highly practical sense: the people, tools and cooperation needed to prepare more effectively for crisis situations. We would like to thank everyone who visited the PPHS stand and spoke with us about the Platform’s activities, projects and solutions supporting the security system.

Learn more about PPHS training programmes.