Abstract
The article examines the implementation of 3D printing in civil protection and crisis management with a focus on the educational process, while 3D printing technology enables the creation of various teaching aids that streamline teaching and enrich theoretical knowledge. The empirical part of the study is based on a quantitative questionnaire survey among students of the Faculty of Safety Engineering of the University of Žilina in Žilina, with hypotheses set in advance and forming the basis for the construction of the questionnaire. The questionnaire collected data on the subjective evaluation of 3D printing through continuous, nominal, and ordinal responses and was completed by 277 students. Statistical methods of simple and group classification, as well as t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis and Pearson’s correlation analysis were used to evaluate the data. Statistical significance was used to determine whether observed differences and relationships were unlikely to have arisen by chance. In addition, effect size measures were used in correlation and regression analyses to assess the strength and practical relevance of statistically significant relationships. The results of the study show that 3D printing significantly contributes to improving education and preparedness in civil protection, as it allows for more material-efficient and flexible production of educational aids compared to traditional custom production. Thus, it supports the development of more resilient communities and contributes to long-term sustainability. The findings confirmed that 3D printing is a suitable tool for improving public preparedness for emergencies.