Poland

Country: Poland

• Country code: PL
• Official language: Polish
• Currency: złoty (PLN)
• Time zone: Central European Time, with Central European Summer Time in summer
• Electricity: usually 230 V / 50 Hz, socket type E; Europlug type C usually fits.

Poland generally has well-developed infrastructure. During a prolonged power outage, however, communication, transport, card payments, heating, cooling, lifts, fuel stations, supermarkets, rail transport and parts of water or district heating supply may be limited.

In rural areas, on the Baltic coast, in mountain regions and near borders, storms, snow, floods, forest fires or road closures can create additional problems.

The most important emergency numbers in Poland should be saved offline and also kept in printed form.

• 112: general EU emergency number for police, fire brigade and emergency medical services
• 997: police
• 998: fire brigade
• 999: emergency medical service / ambulance
• 986: municipal guard, where available
• 991: electricity emergency / grid fault, depending on the region
• 992: gas emergency
• 994: water and sewage emergency, depending on the region

In case of danger to life, fire, serious accident, violence or acute medical emergency, always call 112. During a major blackout, emergency lines should not be blocked with general enquiries.

Poland uses several warning channels. RCB Alert, sirens, radio, television and local authority announcements are important.

• RCB Alert: SMS warnings from the Government Centre for Security. No registration is required; mobile operators send warnings to devices in the affected area.
• Sirens: an alarm is announced by a 3-minute modulated siren sound. Cancellation of the alarm is announced by a 3-minute continuous sound.
• Radio and television: during a power outage, a battery, crank or car radio is important for receiving official information.
• Voivodeship / county / municipality: local crisis information, meeting points and assistance may vary depending on the event.

For Poland, household preparedness for at least 3 days is sensible. If possible, plan additional reserves, especially for children, older people, pets or regular medication.

• Store drinking water and simple drinks for everyone in the household.
• Keep long-life food that can be eaten cold or prepared with little energy.
• Keep medicines, first-aid supplies, hygiene items and personal documents ready.
• Prepare a battery or crank radio, torches, spare batteries, power banks and charging cables.
• Keep cash in small notes and coins, as card payments and ATMs may fail.
• Keep important phone numbers, addresses, meeting points and insurance details on paper as well.
• When using alternative cooking or heating sources, pay strict attention to fire and carbon monoxide risks.

For local power cuts, the local grid operator or fault service is usually responsible. The number 991 is used in Poland for electricity emergencies and grid faults, but specific responsibility can vary by region.

For crisis information, the Government Centre for Security (RCB), the Ministry of the Interior, voivodeship authorities, counties and municipalities are important official sources. If there is a smell of gas, fire, injured people or danger to life, do not call the utility first: call 112 immediately.

Travellers should save accommodation details, emergency numbers, local authority contacts and the contact details of their own embassy or responsible consulate offline before travelling.