Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1536266
sponsibility for planning, preparing, and directing actions, while the executing tool will be the mentio‑ ned population‑protection entities. Although such a broad – and open‑ended – catalo‑ gue may surprise, especially when it includes, for instance, a fishing association, it can be illustrated by one possible situation – namely, the evacuation of civilians. To accomplish that task, one must first have means to transport evacuees, and second, provide them with accommodation and care. At the local‑government level, that resource is often simply a carrier. At the voivodeship level, it might be a regional railway company. In a large city, the municipal transport operator and its buses; in a small commune, perhaps only the school transport fleet – a local entrepreneur might own a few buses used daily for tourist or workforce transport. In such a case, concluding an agreement can secure transport means. The same applies to places and care for evacuees. Ideally, accommodation would be provided in schools, but evacuees will need various assistance – someone must help them reach the site, settle in, and supply food. That may be done by social‑welfare workers supported by local NGOs. The Transformation to Civil Defense in Wartime In the event of war or martial law, population protection becomes civil defense. The Act pro‑ vides that civil‑defence resources will be formed ex officio by firefighters of the State Fire Service, supplemented by persons with a mobilization assi‑ gnment to civil defense. Such assignments may be granted to people employed by, associated with, or working in population‑protection and civil‑defense bodies and entities. Additionally, volunteers and members of the so‑called national civil‑defense re‑ serve – retirees from the police and other unifor‑ med services (excluding the military) without other mobilization assignments – may also be called up. This solution is intended to adapt existing struc‑ tures easily. Moreover, in peacetime, civil‑defen‑ ce resources will not be requisitioned for military needs – such a situation is anticipated only during war, should military resources be exhausted. This is thus an opportunity to organise matters concerning personnel reserves, especially indivi‑ duals in various rescue organisations or volunteer fire brigades, and medical personnel. A member of a voluntary fire brigade or another voluntary rescue formation was, by regulation, a "ordinary" civilian for the armed forces and could be mobilized. The same applied to vehicles. The aforementioned bu‑ ANALYSIS