Abstract
Introduction: Colonel Zdzisław Filingier rendered great service to firefighting in the Opole Region and the whole of Poland. He was born on 2 January 1922 in Warsaw. His family lived in Międzylesie, where he spent his childhood and early teenage years. In the years 1935-1939, he attended lower-secondary school in Warsaw, where he also joined the scouts. In the first months of the Nazi occupation, he completed the Home Army secret officer cadet school. He took part in many sabotage actions and was recruited for the 25th infantry regiment of the Home Army of the Piotrków Trybunalski Land, fighting in the Kielce region and in the Holy Cross Mountains. Under the pseudonym ”Roszak”, he became a platoon commander in the 5th company of the 2nd battalion commanded by Maj. Józef Wyrwa (pseudonyms ”Furgalski” and ”Stary”). In 1949, he graduated from the Firefighting Officer School in Warsaw, and became an instructor at non-commissioned officer school in Nysa. In the years 1956-1959, he was a Deputy Chief of the Non-Commissioned Fire Service Officer School in Nysa. On 1 May 1968, he was appointed Chief of the Voivodeship Fire Service in Opole. He took part in many tough fire and rescue actions in Poland, among others, extinguishing a fire at the Oil Refinery in Czechowice-Dziedzice (1971), an eruption of oil and gas from the ”Daszewo-1” subterranean well near Karlin (1980), the elimination of the consequences of a flood in the Płock Voivodeship (1982), and extinguishing fires in the Częstochowa, Katowice, Wrocław and Zielona Góra Voivodeships. Zdzisław Filingier took part in these actions as one of the commanders. After action in Karlin, he was recognised as a creator of an innovative method of overcoming eruptions, called ”the Polish method”. He also co-organised aid for Armenian populations after a disastrous earthquake. It was the first experience of firefighters’ giving foreign aid to countries affected by an earthquake. Colonel Filingier earned his retirement in December 1989. He was decorated with many medals for fighting in the defence of his country, his professional achievements in the firefighting servic.e, and his social activities. He created the basis for the establishment of the State Fire Service. Fire Safety Colonel Zdzisław Filingier died on 10 November 2015, at the age of 93
Keywords: Zdzisław Filingier, the father of Polish firefighting, a soldier of the Home Army, commander, educator, organiser, scout