The September flood in Poland highlighted the growing role of drones and robots in crisis management. Real-time data collection shortens response times, and UAV technology offers greater efficiency and effectiveness in rescue operations. While unmanned vehicles are unlikely to fully replace traditional tools, they will play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of natural disasters. The State Fire Service is working on expanding the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in rescue operations.
“In the State Fire Service, we are increasingly using drones on a large scale,” said Mariusz Feltynowski, former Chief Commander of the State Fire Service, to the Newseria agency during the final conference of the CoSky initiative in February. “We use them to monitor incident sites, transmit images to the command and communication vehicle, and to the headquarters, which helps the rescue operation commander make better decisions.”
One of the most significant applications of UAV technology is mapping and monitoring emergency situations. Drones can quickly survey landscapes threatened or affected by natural disasters, creating 2D or 3D models to provide data on infrastructure and environmental damage. Remote sensing capabilities and rapid spatial data collection ensure fast and accurate damage assessment for rescue teams. This was demonstrated during last year’s flood, where drones enabled continuous monitoring of river water levels, levees, and hydrotechnical infrastructure. Photogrammetric images were used to create flood maps, and drone footage was streamed live during national emergency meetings.
Drones give rescuers an “eye in the sky,” allowing them to assess on-site situations more quickly and accurately, leading to effective decision-making in challenging conditions.
“Drones are used instead of ladders or aerial lifts to observe how fires spread and to transmit images to the command and communication vehicle. This way, personnel and resources can be dispatched more effectively,” explained the former Chief Commander of the State Fire Service. “During floods, we use drones extensively to monitor levees and flooded areas. This allows us to determine whether additional resources, such as levee reinforcements or sandbags, are needed or whether a levee breach is imminent, enabling faster response. During the previous flood in 2010, firefighters manually monitored levees, which was dangerous. Now, it is cheaper and more efficient.”
According to the “Flood Response Report of Fire Protection Units,” the National Rescue Coordination Center of the State Fire Service has begun efforts to expand the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in rescue operations. Future plans include establishing drone teams within fire service units across Poland. As reported in January, each district and municipal fire department will be equipped with at least one Class C1 drone. Higher-class drones will be available at the provincial level, with the Central School of the State Fire Service in Częstochowa serving as a hub for drone operations in the Silesian region. The project also includes training for drone pilots.
“Drones are becoming fully autonomous. We cannot afford to have an operator on duty for every shift in every rescue and firefighting unit. With 504 units and three shifts, we would need 3,000 operators. Currently, we have 709 operators in the State Fire Service, 15 instructors, and nearly 150 drones, with an additional 250 in volunteer fire departments. This process is accelerating. Last year, we used drones more frequently during fires and local threats than in the previous four years combined,” noted Mariusz Feltynowski.
Equipped with noise and heat detection technology, drones are particularly useful in search and rescue missions. They have been used in disasters such as the 2015 Nepal earthquake. NASA’s Finder device, which uses microwave radar to detect microscopic body movements like heartbeats and breathing, helped locate and rescue several people trapped under debris. Similarly, in 2024, following the earthquake on the Noto Peninsula in Japan, a drone delivered emergency medical supplies to three people seeking shelter in a primary school cut off from humanitarian aid for several days.
According to an analysis by Sławomir Kosieliński, conducted after the 2024 flood as part of the Polish-Norwegian bilateral CoSky initiative under the Norwegian and EEA Funds for 2014-2021, drones are a key component of future crisis information systems. They would complement satellite imaging, which provides broad-area coverage. The National Rescue Coordination and Civil Protection Center of the State Fire Service would receive targeted drone imagery from various altitudes. Depending on needs, the command center and field analysts could reference different information layers and compare changes over time.
“We are focusing not only on unmanned aerial vehicles but also on robots. After the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire, we acquired and deployed firefighting robots to eliminate risks to rescue workers. We also have underwater drones, or ROVs, which transmit real-time images from incident sites, allowing divers to be deployed only when necessary to retrieve victims,” stated the former Chief Commander of the State Fire Service.
The Colossus robot proved invaluable during the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire, when extreme temperatures and structural collapse risks forced firefighters to withdraw. The robot’s built-in fire suppression system allowed it to discharge thousands of liters of fire retardant per minute. These types of robots can operate autonomously for up to eight hours in operational conditions.
Police and fire departments frequently respond to underwater search missions. To enhance efficiency, they use ROVs alongside or instead of dive teams. These robots can map the seabed and locate missing persons or objects. In 2022, ROVs filmed damage to the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline on the Baltic Sea floor.
Despite the increasing accessibility of drones and their impressive results, safety remains a top priority.
“There are risks associated with using drones. For example, drone transmissions can be intercepted since everything is done wirelessly, including drone control. That’s why professionalization requires investing in secure drones, which are significantly more expensive,” emphasized Mariusz Feltynowski.
