Polish government begins to distribute instructions in case of air attacks

From Friday 25 September, the Polish government will begin to distribute guidance on how to respond to air attacks which explains the basic rules for finding a safe place in the event of threats from the air.

Source: European Pravda, citing Polish media outlet TVP Info

Details: The instructions will be available on government websites and passed to all local government bodies through the voivodes (local heads of administration).

The 12-page booklets will also be handed out during events organised within the framework of the government's Civil Protection and Civil Defence Academy programme, as well as during national and regional response exercises.

Deputy Interior Minister Magdalena Roguska said the instruction is not a new 'Safety Guide', referring to a document published by the government last year that contains action plans for crisis situations, but is a supplement to it.

In the new booklet, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration recommends that people familiarise themselves in advance with the alarm signals, the location of the nearest shelter points and the route they will take to them, before any threat arises.

Families are advised to agree in advance on what they will do, where they will meet and how they will communicate, and to have an evacuation backpack ready.

After an alarm is sounded, if the route to the shelter is safe and there is enough time, citizens are advised to take their backpack and any medication they need and make their way there by the stairs, without using the lift.

If reaching the shelter would require spending a long time outdoors, the Polish government advises remaining indoors if the building has sturdy, undamaged walls and ceilings. In this case, it is advisable to follow the two-walls rule. [A safety rule whereby a person keeps two walls without windows between them and the street during attacks - ed.]

The booklet states that if you are in an open area when an explosion occurs, you should lie on the ground, preferably in a depressed area, and cover your head. Anyone in a car is advised to leave the vehicle and go to the nearest safe place.

The Interior Ministry also stresses the importance of heeding any warnings from the Government Centre for Security, official announcements and instructions from the emergency services.

The ministry is already conducting response exercises in certain parts of the country. On Saturday 19 September, exercises took place in the Lublin and Podkarpackie voivodeships. Further exercises are planned for the Podlaskie and Warmian-Masurian voivodeships.

Background:

• On 24 September, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said two border checkpoints had to be evacuated during a Russian attack on targets near the Ukrainian-Polish border.
• It was announced earlier in Poland that security is to be beefed up at checkpoints on the border with Ukraine due to the threat from Russia. Residents in several districts in eastern Poland are being warned that air-raid siren tests will be taking place.
• On 24 September, Danish intelligence warned that in the coming months, Russia will carry out "more frequent attacks" against the West and NATO, which will have "more severe consequences for the countries affected than before".

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