87 Internal Security, July–December Emergency Calls in Poland as Compared with Other European Union Countries Barbara Kaczmarczyk ORCID: 0000-0002-6995-2961 General Tadeusz Kościuszko Military University of Land Forces in Wrocław, Poland Karolina Lis ORCID: 0000-0002-4432-8628 International University of Logistic and Transport in Wrocław, Poland Abstract. This article describes how the emergency notification system operates in Poland and presents the scale and use of the emergency number by the public based on an analysis of statistical data. The data collected was compared with data from other European Union countries. An outline of the steps taken by member states to reduce the number of calls blocking the emergency line is also presented. DOI: 10.5604/01.3001.0053.4204 http://dx.doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0053.4204 Keywords: emergency notification system, emergency calls Introduction Ensuring safety is a fundamental task of any entity to which it pertains. 1 The term ‘safety’ is constantly evolving. It can be defined as a specific goal, but also as a corollary, which means that society is interested in something especially when it loses it. 2 It is also considered on two levels: institutionally and socially. The responsibility for safety lies with state institutions, associations and organisations as well as with individuals functioning in different types of groups, communities and societies. This leads to the observation that, on the one hand, the activi- ties of the entities set up to provide safety in the broadest sense are extremely important, and, on the other, that no less important are the actions taken by each member of the society. 3 This is due to the fact that increasingly often, individuals are involved in surprising situations and risks. This makes it necessary to further explore these issues and, in particular, to foster the right attitudes among citizens that will enable them to respond appropriately, giving them a sense of safety. 4 This is a necessity because ‘the actual or potential occurrence of an undesirable situation, phenomenon, chain of events, etc., necessitates (…) an effort to take 1 Kaczmarczyk B, Możliwości doskonalenia systemu zarządzania kryzysowego w Rzeczy- pospolitej Polskiej. Wrocław, 2015, p. 15. 2 Kaczmarczyk B, Bezpieczeństwo i jego typologie. Bezpieczeństwo i Technika Pożarowa, Vol. 3, No. 31, Iss. 3, 2013, p. 22. 3 Kaczmarczyk B, Bezpieczeństwo i zagrożenia w teorii i praktyce. Kraków, 2015, p. 7. 4 Kaczmarczyk B, Selected problems of education for safety in the changing environment of threats. Zeszyty Naukowe PWSZ, 2018, Legnica, Vol. 1, No. 26, p. 105.