Frag Out! Magazine

The desired status (systemic one) should also include, apart from the proposed changes above, the establishment of a central organ, within the civil defense system, that would professionally handle the matters of constructing shelters. Based on that body, ultimately all related matters should be handled, including technical requirements defined for the shelters, air filtering/ventilation systems, seals, seismically-resistant mounts, equipment and hardware, and design standards. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, and foreign models may be copied - such as the Swiss BABS for instance (Federal Civil Defense Office). That state- level body is tasked with issuing guidelines and defining standards and norms tied to shelter construction in Switzerland. Thanks to the above, all parties involved, from investor, designer, and contractor to finish with, have an easier job to do, by being able to create a shelter following a single stand-ard, in a manner mitigating any risk of errors at any stage of the process. Institutions as such shall have research capabilities, employ scientists, and construction experts (with relevant credentials), and also work in close collaboration with its foreign counterparts. Notably, Poland used to have organs that, in an organized manner, were issuing studies on shelters - such as the COBPBP BISTYP (Central Research and Design Center for Industrial Construction BISTYP, Special Construction Bureau) – the said body issued a series of studies, endorsed by the Ministry of Construction. Central training base for civil defense was also present at OSKOC (Centre for Training of Civil Defense Personnel) - and at that base, one was able to find a model shelter for civil defense purposes. Unfortunately, 3 decades of peace dividend have weakened our alertness and led to cir-cumstances in which a systemic loss of knowledge has occurred in the state structures The aforementioned team should work jointly with the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Ministry of Defense, Government Centre for Security, National Security Bureau, and other organs and organizations, to develop a multi-scenario plan aimed at providing safety to the civilians and resources (critical infrastructure within the scope of shelters included), that would be implemented in crisis, or wartime. The said plan should define the threat-ened areas (and also define the threats), areas where evacuation of civilians shall take place, with designation of locations where the civilians would be transferred and a list of methods used to make the civilians safe. That plan should also include the division of cities and towns through the lens of threat categories, along with recommendations (or even regulations) aimed at www.fragoutmag.com

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