Defence Science

Application possibilities of artificial intelligence in disaster management Part I.

Erik Podholiczki — 2025-03-31

This study aims to present the potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) within the organizational system of disaster management, broken down by specialized areas. It further aims to ensure that personnel become familiar with the opportunities AI offers and the ways in which it can be utilized so that it is not an unfamiliar or obscure concept to them.The study analyzes AI solutions, technologies, regulations, and related experiences implemented domestically and abroad. To this end, it reviews and evaluates technological solutions applicable to various specialized fields based on relevant literature and research reports, discussing their advantages and disadvantages.

In public administration, and consequently in disaster management, AI will need to be applied more widely in the future to ensure more efficient and faster administration and more effective interventions within fire departments. To achieve this, it will be essential to begin building appropriate databases, for which this study provides a framework.

Victims of the BUBIV’s dust explosion - 1984

Benjámin Hózer — 2025-03-31

In this article, we wish to commemorate the two firefighter colleagues and two company employees who lost their lives in the BUBIV dust explosion 40 years ago. We also aim to draw conclusions from the lessons of the incident that remain valid to this day.
Additionally, we will show several images that have not been published until now.

Prediction of carbon monoxide leakage events

Róbert Karsa — 2025-03-31

In this research, we investigate the predictability of carbon monoxide poisoning incidents. By exploring the physical causes of carbon monoxide leaks due to faults in combustion equipment, hypotheses are made and subsequently proven through data-based analyses. We have used data from real carbon monoxide leaks and found that machine learning methods can be used to learn internal correlations in the data. Leakage events can be predicted by taking into account local meteorological forecasts. Using these results, we propose the deployment of an early warning system that can provide area-specific risk awareness in a map format that can be understood.

Dutch experiences of fire safety behaviour of elderly people

László Barta-Vámos — 2025-03-31

The article evaluates a Dutch study on the fire safety behavior of elderly people and introduce some Hungarian surveys on the fire safety knowledge of citizens. Based on some of the results of the Dutch study, the article contains suggestions on how fire prevention activities in Hungary could be made more effective.

Presentation of foreign projects and IT developments aimed at managing extraordinary events Part I

Gyula Dsupin — 2025-03-31

With this series of articles, I would like to present the management of extraordinary damage events abroad and the applications that support interventions developed there. I had the opportunity to get acquainted with the first such program at the end of 2024 during the MAGNITUDE exercise in Germany from the perspective of the organizers, the interveners and those involved in international assistance. The exercise was a complex project funded under the 2023 budget of the European Union. The Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Prededness (KAPP) call coordinated by the German Ministry of the Interior was implemented in the state of Baden-Württemberg with the following consortium partners for the digitalization of the interior sector and local government goals:

- Federal Ministry of the Interior BMI (Austria),

- Resilience Solutions International (Austria),

- Hochschule Furtwangen University (Germany),

- Bundeswehr University Munich (Germany),

- General Secretariat for Civil Protection (Greece),

Switzerland as an associated partner through the Federal Civil Protection Office, and France and Germany participated in the implementation at federal level with the involvement of local authorities, rescue forces and voluntary aid organizations.

Examination and Possible Directions of the European Union’s Civil Protection Policy II.

Gergely Takács — 2025-03-31

In their previous article, the authors summarized and presented the development of the European Union's civil protection policy from the 1980s to the present day. In a separate chapter, they discussed the challenges and the potential systemic responses. In the nearly one year since then, several important changes have affected the field and European security and defense in a broader sense. The selection of a new EU Commissioner for Emergency Management has taken place, a summary report has been prepared on the EU's civil-military preparedness, NATO's most powerful member is toying with the idea of leaving the alliance, and we must also reckon with the increase and more extreme effects of natural disasters due to climate change. Although all these events paint a picture of an increasingly unpredictable future, the current information can provide a much more precise clue as to what is expected to determine the directions of the European Union's civil protection (disaster management) policy.

Environmental security aspects of the removal of volatile organic compounds

Bencsik Dániel — 2025-03-31

With the growing demand for sustainable drinking water supplies and agricultural applications, the practice of wastewater reuse is becoming increasingly important. It contributes to reducing our dependence on limited freshwater sources and mitigating the effects of climate change by conserving water resources. Regarding the recycling of wastewater, however, it must be ensured that hazardous pollutants do not reach consumers. This paper aims to present an application of mathematical modelling to quantify the removal of volatile organic components during treatment and reuse, with regard to operating costs and treated water quality. The study features the model setup of a biological wastewater treatment plant – with post-treatment supplemented by activated carbon filters –, with the goal of quantifying the impact of process parameters on operating and maintenance costs, among effluent water quality. Results of the model simulation demonstrate that increasing the retention time of biomass reduces activated carbon consumption, especially within a range shorter than 6 days; however, from the perspective of environmental security, an operating status below this value should be avoided due to an exponential increase in micropollutant concentrations. Sensitivity analysis has shown that energy demand can be optimised by operating the facility with a sludge residence time in the range of 10-12 days – provided that air supply to biological treatment trains is efficiently regulated. Model runs have shown that, in case of operational emergency scenarios, intensified aeration is a swift and useful operator intervention that provides more efficient stripping[1] of volatile pollutants before loading onto activated carbon columns. The research highlights the potential of dynamic modelling in implementing sustainable operating conditions and emergency planning in wastewater reuse.

The applicability and role of Fog Harvesting Systems in Water Supply, prevention of flood situations

Tamás Papp — 2025-03-31

Fog harvesting systems provide an innovative and sustainable technology for extracting water from atmospheric humidity, playing a significant role in water supply for arid and water-scarce regions. In various parts of the world, such as the Atacama Desert in Chile, mountainous villages in Morocco, and the Himalayan regions of Nepal, fog collectors effectively complement traditional water sources, alleviating the challenges caused by water scarcity. These systems are energy-independent, cost-effective to install, and sustainably contribute to local community water supply. The study provides a detailed overview of the functioning, structural design, and operational experiences of fog harvesting systems. Findings from Hungarian experiments highlight the technology's potential in domestic hilly and mountainous regions, particularly during spring and summer when humidity levels are higher. Implementing fog harvesting systems can significantly enhance sustainable water management, increase community resilience, and support long-term adaptation to climate change.