Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1536266
Unfortunately, one would have to creatively repur‑ pose rescue‑and‑firefighting regulations and crisis‑ ‑management rules, and perhaps introduce martial law. That might work were, say, ten buildings actually destroyed or damaged. The Fire Brigade can carry out operations in building‑collapse and fire disasters. If the capital's fire‑service forces and assets pro‑ ved insufficient, operational reserves would be mo‑ bilized and firefighters – especially specialist rescue teams – summoned from other cities. And here the problem becomes obvious in its full scope. A full‑sca‑ le war means the target would not be only one city. The fundamental challenge placed in front of the civil‑defense system is not so much the nature of the threat (for that is broadly predictable – we face Kalibr or Iskander attacks, not bombs from space) but its scale. We must assume a multiple increase in threats such as fires, building collapses, infrastruc‑ ture failures (for example energy), the need to assist hundreds of casualties, ensure orderly evacuation of civilians, and protect cultural heritage. It is natural to look at military models. In the armed forces, of course, the core of professional soldiers is supplemented by non‑professional soldiers (Territo‑ rial Defense Service and active and passive reserve), and it is not unusual for entire units or even tactical formations to achieve full potential only after mobi‑ lization. On the other hand, the army functions and trains during peacetime. From this one simple conc‑ lusion follows: civil‑defense tasks should be carried out by already existing, appropriately reinforced in‑ stitutions and services. There is no point in creating a wholly new separate formation, especially since doing so would be, first, expensive, second, time‑ ‑consuming, and third, would create division of tasks between existing formations and the new service. For that reason, the government draft Act on the Protection of the Population and Civil Defense under parliamentary consideration since spring is heading in a very good direction. And it is no accident that the title is two‑part. Act on the Protection of the Population and Civil Defense It was assumed that "population protection" is "a system composed of public administration bodies executing tasks aimed at ensuring the safety of the population through the protection of human life and health, property, infrastructure necessary for sub‑ sistence needs, cultural property, and the environ‑ ment in situations of threat, hereinafter called 'po‑ ANALYSIS