The Masurian Rescue Service has existed in the structures of rescue services continuously since 1978. The founders were a group of sailors from Kędzierzyn-Koźle, gathered in sailing clubs operating at large workplaces. Currently, the guard employs 140 people and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
From the beginning, MSR has resided in Okartów. In 1978, from the original headquarters in the village head's yard, the rescuers moved to the eastern shore of Lake Śniardwy. They lease the land from two communes. However, the key is the 1-hectare plot of land provided to the rescuers by the Pisz commune. It is from there that MSR has access to the lake and can sail out to buy shares.
— For decades, cooperation with the Pisz commune has been exemplary – we received consents for further investments and renovations. The entire current infrastructure was created thanks to the work of our volunteers and the association's own funds. The situation changed drastically at the beginning of 2021, when the then mayor announced interest in the plot from a private investor – says Kuba Gwiazdowski, member of the management board of the Masurian Rescue Service.
As he explains, the owner of the neighboring plot, who plans to build a hotel, is interested in the land. “From that moment on, the fight for the survival of our unit began,” he explains.
Masurian Rescue Service
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IAS materials
Court battle for a plot of land
On November 24, 2021, the City Council in Pisz decided to sell the plot. But the rescuers did not give up their weapons. They held meetings with the mayor and also started a court battle. The Warmian-Masurian Voivode invalidated the resolutions of the councilors twice. However, the Pisz commune appealed against both decisions to the Provincial Administrative Court.
— The 2024 elections gave hope for a breakthrough. The new mayor, Dariusz Kiński, with whom we had previously cooperated, declared his full support and willingness to withdraw the plot from sale. Unfortunately, despite initial promises and sending us a draft of a new lease agreement, there was a sudden turn of events – reports Kuba Gwiazdowski.
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The mayor of Pisz gave MSR a condition. He expressed his readiness to sign a new lease agreement if the rescuers granted an indefinite land easement on a neighboring plot belonging to the service. This easement would provide the commune with formal access to the area, which currently does not have its own access road.
MSR did not refuse the easement, but clearly stated that it would grant it if the lease agreement guaranteed long-term stationing of the unit. MSR members warned that the establishment of an indefinite easement without guarantees of durability of the new lease agreement could open the way to an even faster takeover of the land by the city.
The talks came to nothing. The breakthrough was the decision of the Pisz councilors, who on April 7, 2026, adopted a resolution to withdraw the plot from sale and appealed to lease it to the Masurian Rescue Service. Despite this, the mayor upheld the eviction decision.
— The deadline for handing over the land was set for April 30, 2026, at 12:00. We have the impression that the current ruler has been influenced by his predecessor, says Kuba Gwiazdowski.
Friction between the city council and the mayor
Sebastian Zuzga, chairman of the City Council in Pisz, said that the mayor's decision was made “against all principles of logic, equity and basic decency.”
“The Mayor of Pisz, with his full name and surname, signed a letter to the voivode questioning the resolution of the City Council – the municipality's decision-making body, expressing the direct will of the voters. This is no longer passive resistance to the council. It is an active, documented, signed action against his own local government,” he wrote on the social networking site.
He added that “the mayor ignored everything: the council, common sense, the safety of residents.” “It cannot be explained by an error. It is difficult to explain it even by ignorance. It can only be explained by weakness – the weakness of a man who allowed himself to be led astray by his own environment, which effectively played his naivety in their own interest” – the councilor did not mince his words.
MSR rescue operation
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IAS materials
People's safety is at stake
Interestingly, MSR points out that the plot, although attractive, will not bring the city the expected budget revenues. The plot was donated to the commune by the Agricultural Agency of the State Treasury (currently KOWR) with the express purpose of water rescue purposes.
— Violation of this provision means that the commune will have to return the market value of the land to KOWR. Therefore, the sale is economically groundless for the city budget, says Kuba Gwiazdowski.
He admits that MSR members are exhausted from many years of fighting and deprived of financial resources. – Even though we have a piece of field nearby, moving the infrastructure there is a multi-month process, costing millions of zlotys. As a non-profit organization, we do not have such funds. The most important effect of evictions will be a drastic increase in response time to calls. Every minute of delay on the water is a direct threat to human life, notes Kuba Gwiazdowski.
As he claims, limiting operational capabilities at the beginning of the season is a real risk for thousands of tourists and sailors.
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The city has a court verdict in its hands
In the matter of the plot occupied by MSR, the Pisz City Hall refers to the final judgment of January 31, 2024 in the case. The court ruled that the owner of the land is the commune, and the lease agreement was terminated upon the expiry of the period for which it was concluded, i.e. on January 7, 2021. Since January 8, 2021, the land has been occupied without legal title. The court ordered MSR to leave the premises and remove all his belongings.
According to unofficial information we received, the office believes that rescuers may still be stationed on the plot next door. However, the local government does not present any proposals to help finance the move.
We are still waiting for official information. Mayor Dariusz Kiński asked for questions to be sent by e-mail, but… by the time of publication, we had not received a response.
The situation related to the Masurian Rescue Service divides residents. Some people are definitely in favor of keeping the MSR in the place it has occupied for almost 50 years, others we talk to claim that the association duplicates the tasks of the Masurian Volunteer Emergency Service. However, MSR claims that it is operating at 40 percent. surface of Lake Śniardwy, and the nearest MOPR unit is 30 km away.
MSR had until April 30 to leave the area. Rescuers are not giving up their weapons yet. They are still looking for a way to stay in their current area.
