Civil Defense Only on Paper: "Time to Stop Pretending We're Ready"

• - Today, alarm signals are used mainly symbolically - for example, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising or other important events. In practice, few people know what they really mean - convinces Gen. Roman Polko.
• - There are a lot of people in crisis management structures, but very few of them actually do anything. People who have failed anywhere else often end up there. They have simply been moved to the "crisis headquarters" with the hope that there will be no war - warns the military.
• According to Gen. Polka, one of the more serious omissions is the lack of education and preparation of citizens. She admits that today there might be no reaction to a warning signal in the housing estate, because people would not know what it means.

At the beginning of the year, the government made an ambitious announcement: Poland is to receive up to PLN 6 billion per year for the construction and modernization of shelters and other facilities for the protection of the population . The money was to be secured under the new act on civil defense, which comes into force this year. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration assured that the first subsidies for local governments will start before the end of September, and thanks to the use of prefabrication technology, it will be possible to quickly start work on the construction of shelters this year.

So much for the theory. In practice - as General Roman Polko, formerly the head of the GROM special unit and acting Head of the National Security Bureau, argues - everything stands still.

All this hasn't even started yet. Shelters? There aren't any. And when someone shows some hiding places, they're moldy ones that no normal person would want to enter.

- emphasizes General Roman Polko in an interview with PortalSamorzadowy.pl.

He also points out that modern shelters do not have to be dark, damp basements.

- This is not the Polish People's Republic, today's shelter does not have to be a basement full of mold - he emphasizes. He adds that they should serve utility functions, e.g. sports or trade - which will justify their maintenance also in times of peace.

You can see the entire conversation here.

Although housing cooperatives, hospitals and local authorities declare their willingness to act, they complain that no one knows where to apply, how to apply for funds and according to what guidelines to plan investments. Gen. Polko assesses their preparation particularly critically.

There are a lot of people in crisis management structures, but very few of them actually do anything. Often, people who have failed anywhere else end up there. They are simply moved to the "crisis headquarters" in the hope that there will be no war.

- warns General Roman Polko

According to him, it is not a matter of lack of desire, but of lack of initiative and responsibility.

- You have a position, knowledge and competences - react. Do not count on someone to come and do it for you. If you do not know something - ask, but do not pretend that there is no problem. And do not simply report to a higher level of command, management and check that the problem is gone - appeals the former commander of GROM and cites the situation from Bydgoszcz.

- The rocket flew over Polish territory, fell in Bydgoszcz, and the man who had been trained for years on what to do with it, how to act, decided that when he passed the information on to the minister, who has no idea how to react, the matter was settled - says a well-known military officer.

As Gen. Roman Polko emphasizes, local government officials, officials, and people responsible for security must stop waiting for instructions from above . They are the ones who are on the ground, they know the local realities, and every move should start with them. If they do not understand this, the system will continue to operate only on paper - until the next situation that surprises everyone again.

- I expect initiative from these people. It cannot be that a region is threatened by flooding, there is a crisis team and these people do nothing. No, these people have an obligation to lead with their own initiatives, with their own ideas, to fight for what is within their scope of responsibility - emphasizes Gen. Polko.

According to Gen. Polka, one of the more serious omissions is the lack of education and preparation of citizens. She admits that today there might be no reaction to a warning signal in the housing estate, because people would not know what it means.

Today, alarm signals are mainly used symbolically - for example, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising or other important events. In practice, few people know what they really mean . I sometimes wonder about it myself. But this system can be expanded and integrated with modern communication channels - such as media, television, radio or mobile telephony. A thorough reform is needed in this area

- convinces General Polko.

The general points to Israel as an example of a country where society understands its role in the security system. "I was in Israel, I saw how it works. People there know that their security begins with themselves," he explains, adding:

- I would recommend the Israeli model above all as a model of a society responsible for its own security, because when it comes to responsibility for our common security, it is at a low level. People in housing estates, in staircases, in housing estates remain anonymous, and this really gives an advantage to various kinds of little green men - claims Gen. Roman Polko.