Civil defense in Poland. The new act revolutionizes the entire system. It is waiting for the president's signature

During a joint conference, the Minister of Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz summarized work on the Act on Civil Protection and Civil Defense. On December 5, the Sejm adopted the Senate's amendments to the act. Then it went to the president.

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– The most difficult stage is behind us, because legislation is always difficult, but the most important stage is still ahead of us. The president's signature will launch our entire great common machine, which serves one purpose: to keep citizens safe, Siemoniak emphasized.

– We really hope that Mr. President Andrzej Duda will sign this act in the near future and we will enter the phase of its implementation – he added. He noted that this is one of “the most important legislative projects in recent years”, revolutionizing the entire civil protection and civil protection system.

Kosiniak-Kamysz pointed out that this act must come into force in order for the civil protection and civil defense program combining both ministries, defined once every four years, to be implemented. He also announced joint meetings with all local governments, emphasizing the role of local government officials in building civil protection.

The head of the Ministry of National Defense reminded that with the entry into force of the act, the head Ministry of Interior and Administration will become the head of civil defense of the Polish state. He emphasized that it would be the first time that a minister would perform such a function.

– We wanted, and this is an action taken with full responsibility, to raise this area to the highest level, so that a key ministry and a key minister would directly supervise and be responsible for the construction of something that in many places we have to create from scratch – said Kosiniak-Kamysz.

He added that the key elements of civil protection, education and preparation for the most difficult situations are civil defense, i.e. – as he explained – “people involved in times of peace, in times of threat of conflict and during conflict.”

– We have a large army, the third largest in terms of numbers in Poland NATObut we must also have a society that is resistant to threats, including attacks in cyberspace, said the head of the Ministry of National Defense. – It is society that decides whether we win the war or lose it, whether we survive the conflict situation or fall. A strong society is number one, he emphasized.

Ministers were asked whether basing the civil defense system on firefighters – in a situation when they may have many other tasks during a conflict – will not result in a shortage or insufficient resources to perform civil defense tasks.

– We anticipate and can be read from the act, we are also preparing implementing regulations, that the number of posts in the fire brigade will increase in connection with civil protection tasks – replied the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration.

He explained that during work on the act, the principle was adopted to base it on what exists and what works well. – The fire brigade, professional and voluntary, is the formation that has proven its worth in various activities, including flood ones, and that enjoys the highest trust of Poles when it comes to various institutions and information – he argued.

He added that it would be “irrational from the state's point of view to build civil defense now as a separate, new service and employ thousands of new people in it.”

According to Siemoniak, the solution is right. – The fire brigade (…) is the backbone of the entire system. However, there will be many more of those who will operate within this framework, in local governments or in various other institutions, he noted.

The act assumes the creation of a civil protection system which, in the event of war, can be transformed into civil defense. The government will allocate no less than 0.3% annually to implement new solutions. GDP.

Its main goal is to meet social demand for a safe and resilient civilian environment in the context of military and non-military threats. The act focuses on the safety of citizens and – as the authors of the regulations have repeatedly pointed out – it does not affect civil liberties.