Lightweight foldable rescue stretchers, energy-efficient systems for transporting toursits with injuries, or AI tools supporting dispatchers – these are just some of the projects for the Karkonosze GOPR Mountain Rescue Group, carried by researchers from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, including from our Faculty.

Their implementation will be possible owing to the cooperation agreement signed by Prof. Renata Krzyżyńska, the vice-rector for external relations at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and Jakub Koziński, the president of the Karkonosze GOPR Mountain Rescue Group.

– The Karkonosze GOPR is an organisation that I hold very dear. I am well-acquainted with the work of rescuers and understand how much time and health each of them dedicates in the name of saving people. I am pleased that Wrocław University of Science and Technology will be able to assist in this task, and I consider the combination of the Group's activities with the work of our scientists and with the latest technologies to be an excellent idea – said Prof. Renata Krzyżyńska.

The person behind the agreement initiative is Jakub Szyller, MD-PhD, from the Department of Preclinical Sciences, Pharmacology, and Medical Diagnostics at the Faculty of Medicine, who highlights that GOPR is a very specialised unit.

– Just consider the area where the rescuers operate. Navigating such challenging terrain and conducting search and rescue operations for victims require a specialised approach and technological solutions. We operate here at the intersection of the HealthTech sector, which perfectly aligns with the activities of a technical university – explains Dr. Szyller.

The solutions developed by scientists from Wrocław University of Science and Technology include a flow-through heater for infusion fluids, a mechanical support system for transporting casualties on stretchers, a system protecting batteries from low temperatures, lightweight, foldable, mobile stretchers suitable for use in various rescue specialisations, and an AI application that records the verbal communication during a rescue operation and compiles a summary highlighting the most important information.

– The agreement with Wrocław University of Science and Technology opens a new chapter of collaboration between mountain rescue services and the scientific and technological community. We have defined our specific needs, such as modules for GSM signal localisation or AI tools to support dispatchers, and these solutions can only be developed when academic knowledge meets field practice. This agreement will make it possible – says Jakub Koziński, president of the Karkonosze GOPR Group.

The projects submitted by the GOPR Group will be carried out by scientists from our Faculty, as well as from the Faculty of Medicine, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical and Energy Engineering. 

The agreement also includes, among others, joint promotion of the results, organising and participating in regular training sessions, specialist courses and other educational programmes, co-creating and modifying curricula, and sponsoring selected fields of study.

The Karkonosze GOPR Group is one of the seven regional groups, and it has operated continuously since 1952. Its operational area is in the Karkonosze Mountains, Izera Mountains, Rudawy Janowickie, and Kaczawskie Mountains. The group consists of over 170 rescuers (including 150 volunteers) who carry out more than 800 rescue and training interventions every year.

The group specialises in operations performed in challenging terrains, including wall rescue, avalanche rescue, skiing, caving, water rescue, and search operations. It has teams with rescue dogs, conducts evacuations from cable cars, and collaborates with rescue helicopters.

In addition to its operational activities, the GOPR Group is involved in extensive education and prevention efforts and actively participates in international projects, particularly under cross-border and EU programmes (including Interreg). It collaborates with partners from the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Switzerland, developing joint rescue standards and organising international training sessions.