New Delhi: In modern warfare, civilian and infrastructure are first target by the enemy forces in an attempt to demoralise the country’s leadership and put pressure on them. Hence, any country which is under attack, prepares to minimise civilian casualties by way of mock drills and training its citizens to avoid being targeted by bombs and missiles. With current India-Pakistan tensions over Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists and government instructions to carry out civil defence mock drills, let discuss how Israel and Ukraine that are engaged in wars, have developed systems to shield their civilians from bombs and missile attacks.
A culture of readiness in Israel
Since its birth in 1948, Israel has fought many wars with its Arab neighbours and thus developed a comprehensive system of civil mock drill including bunkers, air raid sirens. Israel calls its civil defence mechanism as ‘Home Front Command’ which issues instructions to citizens in case of conflict. The Home Front Command which works as a unit of the Israeli Defence forces, conducts regular mock drills which involves schools, businesses, public transportation.
The most common element of the Israeli mock drill includes the missile alert system which is also called ‘Red Alert’. Thanks to this Red Alert system, the civilians get to bunkers, also called bomb shelters in Israel. It is mandatory in Israel for residential housing to have a bomb shelter or an access to it in a short time.
During the mock drills, families, school children are required to practice running to bomb shelters, and ducking while they are on roads and highways and wait until an all clear signal.
Israel’s public information campaign
The Israeli government also carries out public information campaign on how to prepare for emergencies, stock emergency kits and tasks to carry out in case of attacks. Regular counselling and workshops are also conducted to also deal with psychological readiness of the people.
Ukraine civilian mock drill protocols
Since war broke out between Ukraine and Russia in 2022, the air raid sirens that were once a rarity, have become a regular routine in the lives of Ukrainians. The authorities in Ukraine now carry out regular mock drills in schools, offices, and neighbourhoods to teach people how to respond to missile and bomb threats.
The people are also given training in first aid, evacuation protocols, and running to shelters. The Ukraine government have also developed an app called “Air Alert” to warn people in real-time about missile warning and thus swift response.
The local authorities in capital Kyiv and other cities organise monthly drills that include swift evacuations from buildings, emergency medical aid. The officials have also retrofitted metro stations as bomb shelters. Signages have been put up directing people to run to protet areas.
