The Polish Minister of Interior has urged the population to participate in civil training courses for emergency situations, emphasizing the need to be prepared for potential security threats.
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński made the call on Saturday in the city of Gdańsk, at the opening of hundreds of emergency training points in the Pomerania (northern part of the country) and Mazovia (central) regions, as reported by TVP World.
The initiative aims to train civilians on how to react in case of alarm sirens activation, emergency alerts, potential aerial threats, as well as informing them about shelter locations and the items needed in an evacuation backpack.
"We need to be prepared. When danger arises, there often won't be time for a lengthy analysis," Kierwiński stated.
"Certain reactions and behaviors simply need to become part of our DNA," he added.
Kierwiński emphasized that preparing civilians for emergency situations has become a key element of national security, given the security situation at Poland's eastern border.
Improvements in civil protection
Warsaw has intensified its efforts to improve the preparedness and resilience of civilians amid increased security concerns stemming from Russia's war against neighboring Ukraine.
"Every citizen who learns how to respond strengthens the resilience of our society," stated Wojciech Kruczek, the chief commander of the State Fire Service.
The training program has already attracted a large number of participants. According to government data, over 154,000 people took part in a series of emergency response exercises conducted nationwide at the end of August.
Sirens and alerts
Additionally, the government is expanding the Polish population warning system, designed to alert civilians to aerial threats and other emergency situations.
Over 10,000 sirens have already been connected to the central system nationwide. The next step is to integrate 22,000 existing sirens, with the ultimate goal of expanding the network to over 30,000 units.
Kierwiński mentioned that a new emergency warning application has also been developed, currently in an advanced testing stage. The government aims for the application to be available to users by the end of December.
T.D.