Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1497523
The creators of the new norms placed a particular emphasis on protecting shelter tenants from nuclear weapons, introducing some sophisticated, and carefully researched protective solutions. The structure of the shelters was designed in a manner that would allow for a shift of the shelter position in relation to the escape routes or air intakes. Pipe and cable connections were being more resilient to breaking or to the shockwave effect. The ventilation system was made fire-proof, against external fires (gravel/stone filters), the entrance area also featured a decontamination zone, and so on. Many other, interesting solutions were being implemented within that scope. The development of rules and principles for designing civilian shelters was a result of the aforesaid requirements - the structures in question were to offer good protection levels when facing the assumed threat, possible to implement technology- and materials- wise. It needs to be clearly stated that now (late 2022), Poland, as a state, has no know-how available, needed to design modern shelters and protective structures for civilians. An average construction engineer or architect does not understand those matters, or they may even sound foreign to them. That knowledge is available to a handful of designers and architects. The sources of that knowledge - handbooks, and studies - are often rescued from being burned or processed as waste, to protect the know-how. One may state that as a result of 3 decades of peace, the institutional memory has been lost within that scope. Had it not been for the Military University of Technology, and a handful of civilian geeks, no Polish know-how would be available within that scope. This results in two things: A) Globally - no access to shelters available for the population, no shelters embedded within the newly created critical infrastructure and public utility buildings; should an armed conflict break out, that would result in major losses among the civilians, while the state organs would be impaired and unable to function. b) Locally - erroneous establishment of such facilities, even within critical infrastructure, which is a result of assigning design responsibility to persons without know-how or experience in creating shelter structures. That status quo has dramatic implications for the citizens, and they have no access to safe space whatsoever. The state organs at all levels, except for the central level, also suffer from that. Places used to control critical infrastructure also remain unprotected. The aforesaid impaired actions taken by the state during the war would translate into a lack of ability to function, also, the power grid, water distribution, and gas networks would be paralyzed. The same goes for the ability to communicate www.fragoutmag.com