Population protection concept - warning sheltering of person in danger

It comprises a complex of activities and procedures – involving competent authorities, various other entities, and individual citizens – aimed at minimising the impact of extraordinary events on the lives and health of the population, property, and the environment.

These activities and procedures are addressed comprehensively as part of emergency, crisis and defence planning.

The FSc CU manual for employees and students is adapted from the basic and most essential procedures prescribed by the Ministry of the Interior and the General Directorate of Fire Rescue Services of the Czech Republic.

1. WARNINGS

Warning signal and its meaning

The warning signal is a defined method for activating terminal elements of the system to warn citizens of an impending or occurring emergency. The “General Warning” signal is sounded in the event that human lives and health may be or are in danger because of a natural disaster (such as flood), an emergency involving the leakage of hazardous substances into the environment (an accident in a chemical factory or storage facility, a traffic accident, an accident at a nuclear energy facility, or any other accident involving the leakage of radioactive substances into the environment). The signal may be sounded three times consecutively at intervals of three minutes.

The tone of the siren is followed by emergency information from the mass media (on a national, regional and/or local level) for citizens regarding the impending or occurring emergency. In the City of Prague, voice information about the type and nature of the impending hazard is delivered through the electronic sirens once the tone has stopped.

The tone of the sirens that warns of danger must be differentiated from the signal that is used for regular acoustic testing of the sirens. Such tests are announced in the central mass media in advance and take place on a national basis twice a year: once in the spring and once in the autumn at noon.

Methods for conveying emergency information

Citizens are advised to make emergency calls following the occurrence of crisis situations to the emergency telephone lines (unified nationally), which in Prague are operated by:

• 150 – Fire Rescue Service of the City of Prague (HZS hl. m. Prahy)
• 155 – Medical rescue service (Záchranná služba)
• 158 – Police of the Czech Republic (PČR), Prague Directorate
• 156 – Prague Metropolitan Police (Městská policie hl. m. Prahy)
• 112 – General emergency line

2. WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY OR IN THE         EVENT OF WARFARE

• If possible, find out where the nearest shelters are and check the condition of the cellar;
• Check if an emergency exit is available;
• Stock up on drinking water and long-life technology and equipment;
• Check the availability of first aid kits and think about the medications you may need in the long run;
• Prepare fire extinguishers;
• Provide alternative methods of lighting in the event of power failure (torches, candles);
• Make provisions for cooking without a gas and electricity supply;
• Collect vital items and documents in the event of evacuation or for relocation to storage;
• Ensure your vehicle is roadworthy and refuelled for timely evacuation from the danger zone;
• During a cold period, think about alternative heating should the district heating system be disconnected.

3. PREPARING AN EMERGENCY BAG

In the event of evacuation or relocation to a safer place, you will need the following essential items. It is important to prepare all of these in advance:

• Passport and copies of all crucial documents (birth certificate, military ID, education certificates, employment records or pension certificate, ownership certificates);
• Money (cash and bank cards);
• Mobile telephone chargers;
• Radio receiver, torch, alarm systems, compass, watch, compact toolkit (multitool), knife, garbage bags, notebook, pencil, needles and threads, matches and lighter;
• Warm clothes (a warm blanket if possible), underwear, firm and comfortable shoes;
• Sanitary items;
• First aid kit, including any medications used daily;
• Water and food for three days; this must be easy to store and not require cooking.

Place the items in a spacious and comfortable backpack and have it ready to hand.

4. INSTRUCTIONS IN THE EVENT OF DANGER

Instructions to follow in the event of a nuclear hazard will be issued by the competent authorities of the Integrated Rescue System (IZS), namely the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic (HZS).

A. PROTECTION FROM FIREARMS

• In the event of danger, it is best to hide in a protected room (e.g., bathroom or bathtub). If this is not possible, you should lay down and cover yourselves with objects that can protect you from shards and bullets.
• If you are shot in an open area, the best thing to do is fall down and cover your head with your hands. Any ledge, hole in the ground, or ditch provides effective protection. Do not hide behind cars; they are often targeted.
• Wherever you are, lay down in the foetal position. Turn your legs towards the shot/explosion, cover your head with your hands, and open your mouth to prevent a close explosion from damaging your eardrums. Wait until the firing stops and no shots have been heard for at least five minutes.
• If your house is in an area where there is frequent shooting, reinforce your windows (e.g., with a self-adhesive foil) – this will help stop the spread of broken glass. A useful strategy is to block the windows with bags of sand or massive pieces of furniture.

B. PROTECTION FROM SHELLFIRE

• During shellfire, mine bombardment, or air raids, […] below arches or stairways. It is also dangerous to hide in the cellars of prefabricated buildings, close to vehicles and fuel stations, and below light wall structures as these are fragile and you could be trapped or injured below the debris.
• If you are under shellfire, mine bombardment, or an air raid, lay down on the ground as soon as possible – you can find protection in concrete structures (except those that can collapse or catch fire), ditches, shallow underground shafts, and wide ditches.
• Cover your ears with your hands and open your mouth.

C. PROTECTION FROM CHEMICAL             WARFARE/LEAKAGE

• Do not come close to the emergency site.
• If you are outdoors, seek shelter in the nearest building.
• If you are at home, do not leave.
• Stay at the highest level possible in the building, in a room facing away from the accident site.
• Do not hide in cellars or other underground areas.
• Turn off ventilation and air conditioning.
• Close all windows and doors and seal them with a tape (this can reduce the amount of chemicals penetrating inside by as much as 10 times).
• If you are inside a vehicle, do not open the windows and make sure you turn the ventilation off.
• Follow the media (TV, local radio, radio cars, the Internet).
• If there is no shelter around, leave the area at risk, travelling perpendicular to the wind direction.
• Use improvised means of protection if possible.

Improvised means of protection

• ​For respiratory protection, use a damp mask (a handkerchief or other cloth) to cover the nose and mouth, fastened at the back of the head with a scarf or shawl.
• Shield your head with a cap, hood, or shawl to cover all of the forehead, ears, and neck.
• Shield your eyes with closed goggles (e.g., skiing or diving) and cover the air inlets with a self-adhesive tape; if you have no such goggles, you can protect your eyes with a transparent plastic bag placed on your head and fastened with a ribbon or rubber band at cheekbone level (it should not cover your nose, otherwise you risk suffocation).
• Shield your torso using overalls, long coats, jackets, trousers, anoraks, blankets, or tarps.
• Shield your hands with rubber or leather gloves, and your feet with rubber boots, Cossack boots, or other tall shoes.
• The entire surface of the body must be covered – no spot should remain exposed.
• All items must be sealed as tightly as possible (tie your sleeves overlapping your gloves/trousers overlapping your shoes with a string, etc.).

D. PROTECTION FROM AN ACTIVE SHOOTER/TERRORISTS

RUN

• If there is any escape route you can use, run away! (Duck while running, using any items as shelters and staying close to the sides rather than in the middle of the road.)
• Leave your personal belonging and valuables behind. Don’t delay! Life and health is more important than property.
• If possible, help others run (hold your children by the hand or take them in your arms).

HIDE

• If you cannot escape to safety, find a place to hide (an office, shop, restaurant, or house corridor)!
• Lock and/or block the door (use anything to secure the door – furniture, garbage cans, rollers).
• Hide behind solid objects.
• Switch your telephone to a silent mode and remain quiet.

FIGHT

• If your life is in direct danger, fight!
• Try to eliminate the attacker.
• Be quick and violent.
• Use any objects you can use as weapons.
• Act with maximum efficiency.

E. PROTECTION FROM A NUCLEAR ATTACK (source: State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB)):

- Prepare an evacuation bag with indispensable personal items, spare clothes, documents, and possibly also an emergency package (with durable food, enough drinks, medical and sanitary supplies for a few days, any medication you use, a functional radio receiver, a torch with spare batteries, etc.).

- Arrange a substitute communication system with your family members in the event of mobile service failure.

- In the event of an attack, immediately leave for a cellar, shelter, or other underground area with strong concrete walls, close the doors and windows, and stop any ventilation system.

- Following the attack, wait for several hours before emerging to avoid any radioactive fallout.

- When leaving the shelter, cover your airways with a scarf or mask to avoid inhaling radioactive substances.
- When you are in a safe place, take a shower and change your clothes as soon as possible to prevent further contamination.

- Follow the instructions of the Integrated Rescue System personnel.

1. LIST OF SHELTERS CLOSEST TO THE FACULTY BUILDINGS

Another highly efficient shelter providing the maximum possible degree of protection from the effects of a nuclear explosion is the underground areas of the Metro B station. If necessary, it is even possible to use the adjoining tunnels.

kryt = shelter