Generolo Jono Žemaičio Lietuvos karo akademija

The issue of major chemical accidents in the Czech Republic is first mentioned from a historical point of view. The following are the main hazardous impacts of chemical accidents. The next part is a comparison of the accidental impacts of major emergencies, such as toxic leakage, explosion and fire, even with examples of several typical chemical substances. Some factors of the main hazardous chemicals with a focus on toxic substances are discussed in detail. The modelling of accident impacts is presented in the next section on a detailed comparison of the accident impacts of nine main industrial chemical toxicants. The article also draws attention to the serious danger of the possible misuse of toxic substances in particular for hostile acts of chemical terrorism.

This article deals primarily with the protection of the population in the Czech Republic, as it is a very important security area of the highest priority. The population protection system in the Czech Republic is briefly explained, which has been fully under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic since 2001, but a number of other central administrative authorities (ministries, special institutes and institutions, research institutes) are also involved in its implementation. In addition to legal standards and implementation decrees, the Czech Republic security strategy and the concept of population protection are also presented. A separate part is devoted to the last valid Population Protection Concept from 2021, and it is emphasized here that the concept places great importance on the population’s preparedness for dealing with extraordinary events and crisis situations. The Model Action Activity of the Integrated Rescue System in the Czech Republic is presented in the next section. Although many model action activities have already been published in the Czech Republic, unfortunately such a safety management plan has not yet been published for the extremely hazardous natural disaster „Tornado“. This subsection briefly explains how the Intergreted Rescue system intervenes in emergency and crisis situations. A separate part is devoted to the hazardous and strong tornado in Moravia in 2021, where a total of 6 people lost their lives and another 200 were injured, many were hospitalized. Material damage after the tornado’s rampage climbed to dizzying heights. The wave of solidarity with the affected population has reached unprecedented proportions not only in the Czech Republic. At the end of the contribution, the authors present their own proposal for the future, how to continue working in this area, from the preparation and convening of a national security conference in the Czech Republic to the preparation and publication of the Model Action Activity of the Integrated Rescue System in the Czech Republic in the disaster event of a tornado.

Important role in the implementation of a proactive approach represents operations dedicated to elimination of weapons of mass destruction. It is obvious that if trained and adequately equipped military forces carried out an operation to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, it significantly reduces the need to organize extensive CBRN defence measures for military forces or protection of civilians. Measures to implement the tasks of defence against weapons of mass destruction (CBRN defence) recently change. The security environment influences the perception and attitude of the Alliance to address global problems associated with state or non-state ownership of weapons of mass destruction. The focus of the Chemical Corps is gradually expanding from the current passive (reactive) approach to proactive approach.

The period in which countries around the world, including the Czech Republic, found themselves at the end of 2021 was characterized by a number of very significant political and security threats and risks. It was a period in which the next wave of the pandemic situation associated with the COVID-19 disease was manifesting itself. Even though the Czech Republic was already much better prepared for the problems associated with the outbreak of this disease, it could not be said that it was managing everything well, without problems and within the political consensus of all ruling and opposition parties. Based on results achieved in the elections to the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, which took place in October 2021, the priorities of the winning parties grouped into one government coalition were set. These priorities were presented in the form of a coalition agreement to the public. A paper deals with the anticipated intentions of the Government of the Czech Republic in its implementation for the 2021-2025 electoral period in the issues of safety and security in all aspects of their perception. Among the aspects examined were the areas of security policy implementation and the broader concept of population protection. In the paper, the terms “security” and “protection” are frequented in the number and form in which they appear in the text of the coalition agreement. The paper presents the occurrence of these terms in the documents that became the basic and initial documents for establishing mutual pre-election cooperation between political parties and movements. Last but not least, it also presents changes in the approach to these concepts in relation to coalition agreements concluded in 2013 and 2017. Other aspects of coalition agreements are deliberately not mentioned.