Civil defense preparations in Lublin, Poland

In response to security concerns near the Polish border and Russian attacks on neighboring Ukraine, authorities in the Lublin Voivodeship have initiated civil defense measures.

On September 19, the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the State Fire Service, and volunteer fire departments conducted ‘Open Station Days – Response Training’. These sessions aimed to educate residents on recognizing alarm signals, using RCB alerts, and utilizing the ‘Where to Hide’ application to find safe shelter. Minister of Interior and Administration Marcin Kierwiński advised citizens to seek shelter in areas away from glass and noted that administrators would be obligated to make private spaces, such as underground garages, available during wartime.

By October 2, the city of Lublin reactivated a modernized Cold War-era air raid shelter located beneath the MPK Lublin headquarters. Designed to accommodate 200 people for up to 72 hours, the facility includes autonomous air filtration, water, and electricity systems. The shelter’s emergency exit has been reoriented to face west. This reactivation aligns with a broader national effort to strengthen Poland’s civil defense infrastructure, which includes approximately 2,000 professional shelters and 86,000 secondary protection locations.