Firefighters are set to carry out training exercises in two Polish voivodeships, testing how people respond to emergency alerts, according to Gazeta. The drills were reported on Friday, September 18, 2026.
The exercises focus on reaction to alert notifications, with firefighters leading the training, Gazeta reports. Reporting from WP Wiadomości described the situation around the training as dynamic, indicating the exercises were ongoing.
Coverage of the drills points to differing approaches to school safety during alerts. According to Lublin.Wyborcza.pl, some schools moved pupils into basements as a precaution, while others told parents to collect their children. The outlet quoted guidance that children should remain under the care of their teachers during such situations.
The training also appears open to members of the public in at least one location. The site swidnik.pl listed response training sessions available to willing participants.
The exercises come amid heightened attention to emergency preparedness near Poland's border with Ukraine. Money.pl reported sharply divided public sentiment in the border region, with reactions ranging from fear that "war is knocking" to indifference.
Taken together, the reports suggest the drills are meant to test practical readiness — how alerts are received, how schools and residents act, and how instructions are followed — rather than to respond to a specific incident. Gazeta's headline frames the effort as a rehearsal of alert responses across two regions.
What to watch next: whether officials release results from the two voivodeships' exercises and whether the school-evacuation guidance is revised afterward.