Over 15,500 people took part in the nationwide voluntary defense training program „wGotowości” in June alone, marking a significant milestone in its expansion. The initiative, run by the Territorial Defense Forces (WOT), focuses on practical skills for civilian emergencies – from blackouts and floods to cyberattacks and disinformation.
The program, which entered a new development phase in 2026, has already conducted nearly 460 training sessions across Poland by the end of June. Participants learn first aid, survival techniques, crisis communication, and cyber hygiene – competencies that are becoming as essential as basic first aid in many NATO countries.
Individual training courses allow thousands of Poles to acquire skills in personal safety, rescue operations, and cybersecurity. Group sessions prepare public administration employees and institutions for effective action during crises. The program is designed to be accessible and practical, blending elements of civil defense, urban survival, and modern security procedures.
Cyber hygiene takes center stage
This year, instructors from the Territorial Defense Forces place particular emphasis on cyber hygiene and protection against online threats due to the significant rise in cyber risks. In cooperation with military experts, participants learn to recognize phishing attempts, counter disinformation, protect their data, and safely use new technologies.
– The growing number of participants and the high interest in subsequent editions show that Poles want to actively develop their competences and increase their readiness to respond in situations requiring responsibility, cooperation, and quick action – said Major Rafał Rylich, acting spokesperson for the Territorial Defense Forces Command (DWOT).
The program is also a response to lessons from Ukraine. A nation’s resilience in the event of armed conflict depends not only on a strong, modern army but largely on a conscious society that is prepared and trained to cope in difficult, unexpected situations.
Security begins with the citizen
The „wGotowości” program helps people understand that state security is built not only by the armed forces but also by aware and prepared citizens. Knowledge of what to do in sudden emergencies is becoming increasingly necessary.
Crises do not ask about readiness, and the state cannot reach everywhere in the first minutes. A society prepared for such events is a safe society. Resilience of the state starts with the resilience of its citizens. Security is not an abstraction – it is a practice. And this is exactly what the program teaches participants.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. DWOT
