The Polish Embassy in Ireland has thanked members of the Dublin Civil Defence who rushed to help victims of the shooting in Kraków yesterday afternoon.
Six of the organisation’s volunteers were visiting the Polish city from Dublin and were present when the attack happened in the historic Market Square.
“Thank you, members of the Dublin Civil Defense, for rushing to help victims of the attack in Kraków. Dear Irish friends, we are grateful for your courage, responsibility, and compassion,” the Embassy posted today on X.
The attack has caused widespread shock in Poland. The gunman, who entered the square in a car and killed four women and two men by shooting randomly from the vehicle, died in hospital this morning.
Sixteen people were also injured in the attack, including two police officers.
Civil Defence Officer James McConnell told RTÉ News yesterday that its volunteers, who are trained to provide medical care, provided “CPR and haemorrhage control” to injured people after the shooting.
Dublin Civil Defence posted appreciation for its volunteers on its own page, saying: “Well done to our Central AFS Unit for providing medical care in Krakow this afternoon. We are very proud of them all. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families.”
In response, scores of Polish people also expressed their thanks and sent good wishes.
“As [a] Polish citizen living in Kraków I wish to express my gratitude to your members for providing such swift response to all injured people under those extreme circumstances. Members of Dublin Civil Defense will always be welcome in our city,” said one woman.
“A huge thank you from Poland. You are amazing,” said another response.
“As a Polish woman living in Ireland for more than 20 years I want say huge thank you and respect for your people. Go raibh maith agat,” added another comment, while another pointed to the courage and compassion of the volunteers:
“As a Pole, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the wonderful Dublin Civil Defence volunteers who rushed to help in the aftermath of the shooting in Kraków. In moments of tragedy, it is people like that who remind us what humanity, courage and compassion truly mean. Your instinct to step forward when others needed help deserves the deepest respect and gratitude. 🇨🇮❤️🇵🇱 Go raibh míle maith agaibh ó chroí!”.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, said it was “extraordinary” the way in which the values and the work that the DCD “engage in at home went straight into action in Kraków”.
“They were there to support very vulnerable people who had been involved in that attack and to assist them. And so, obviously, I just want to thank them publicly,” she said.
“[I’m] very glad that they’re okay and they’re safe, but [I’m] very conscious that there were a lot of innocent civilians caught up in this, and [it’s] obviously a very scary scenario for everybody.”