1. SFT
  2. Archiwum
  3. Vol. 67 1/2026
  4. Protection of the Population in the 2...

Protection of the Population in the 21st Century: the Role of Innovative Technologies in Crisis Response

Tomasz Lutoborski, M.A. , Maciej Zawistowski, M.A.

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Open Access
DOI: 10.12845/sft.67.1.2026.2, pages: 30 – 57

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to discuss contemporary organisational and technological solutions within the system of civil protection and civil defence in Poland, and to indicate the role of modern technologies in enhancing citizens’ safety. The authors put forward a thesis assuming that effective civil protection and civil defence are based on increased civic engagement, with citizens using modern technologies to help build a safe environment.

Introduction: In the 21st century, public safety is changing faster than ever before. Extreme weather phenomena, hybrid warfare, and disinformation show that the state and society must be prepared for a wide range of threats. Modern technologies — monitoring and alerting systems, IoT, mobile applications, VR/AR tools, and drones — have become a response to these challenges. However, their effectiveness depends on one key factor: a society that is aware of and prepared for threats. The article analyses the role of technology in civil protection in Poland, presents the organizational and legal foundations of the system, and discusses the importance of modern solutions in building social resilience.

Methodology: The study uses both quantitative and qualitative analysis of public data to assess public interest in topics related to civil protection and the role of modern technologies in public safety. The quantitative part included an analysis of Google Trends and Wikipedia Pageviews data for selected safety-related terms. The qualitative part included a formal and legal analysis and a review of expert sources. Theoretical methods were applied, including the analysis of legal acts, government documents, websites of institutions responsible for security, and industry articles.

Results: Modern technologies significantly strengthen public safety by providing continuous environmental monitoring and rapid alerting of the population about threats. However, the tools themselves do not guarantee effectiveness—the key lies in their conscious and responsible use by citizens. Social engagement improves system response, enables data exchange, faster threat detection, and better decision-making by emergency services. A clear trend of growing public interest in civil defence is visible, supporting the development of social resilience. At the same time, it remains important to reduce barriers such as digital exclusion, telecommunication failures, low quality of some mobile applications, and the need to counter disinformation. At the foundation of the entire system lie education, awareness of threats, and information resilience. The effectiveness of civil protection depends on systematic training, public education, and trust in the actions of state institutions.

Conclusions: Modern technologies significantly strengthen public safety by providing continuous environmental monitoring and rapid alerting of the population about threats. However, the tools themselves do not guarantee effectiveness—the key lies in their conscious and responsible use by citizens. Social engagement improves system response, enables data exchange, faster threat detection, and better decision-making by emergency services. A clear trend of growing public interest in civil defence is visible, supporting the development of social resilience. At the same time, it remains important to reduce barriers such as digital exclusion, telecommunication failures, low quality of some mobile applications, and the need to counter disinformation. At the foundation of the entire system lie education, awareness of threats, and information resilience. The effectiveness of civil protection depends on systematic training, public education, and trust in the actions of state institutions.

Keywords: bezpieczeństwo powszechne, ochrona ludności, obrona cywilna, nowoczesne technologie

Type of article: review article

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