- Research Article
- 10.5604/01.3001.0055.5479
RISING USE OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES IN WATER RESCUE OPERATIONS: A NATIONWIDE STUDY FROM POLAND
- Dec 28, 2025
- Zeszyty Naukowe SGSP
- Łukasz Dudziński + 7 more +7
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, drones) are being increasingly recognised as valuable tools inemergency response. In water rescue, their potential lies in accelerating detection, expandingsituational awareness and reducing risks to rescuers. However, systematic evidence from Central andEastern Europe is scarce. This article presents a retrospective, nationwide cross-sectional study ofdrone-assisted interventions by the State Fire Service (SFS) in Poland between 2021 and 2024. Datawere obtained from the Decision Support System (DSS) of the SFS and cross-verified with annualbulletins and official statistics. Incidents were identified by predefined water-related keywords.Variables included incident type: local threats (LT) or fire, season, year, intervention duration andsearch outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed using non-parametric tests with a significancethreshold of p < 0.05.A total of 1,155 drone-assisted interventions have been recorded, of which 169 (14.6%) were classifiedas water-related. Most were LTs (95.9%), with person searches as the dominant category. The numberof interventions increased steadily year by year (from 15 in 2021 to 93 in 2024). Mean interventiontimes varied significantly across years (p < 0.001) and seasons (p = 0.004), with the longest durationsin summer and the shortest in winter. No statistically significant association has been ascertainedbetween season and search outcome (χ = 8.39; p = 0.211). Regional differences were evident in boththe number and duration of interventions. The use of UAVs in Polish water rescue operations keepsrising, particularly in search missions. While UAVs enhance detection and monitoring, finaloutcomes depend on broader clinical and environmental factors. Findings support the systematicintegration of UAVs into national water rescue protocols, with emphasis on seasonal and regionalresource allocation, interoperable coordination between SFS, VWRS and SAR, and standardisedmission documentation to strengthen public health impact.
Read more