Zagreb currently has about 1,060 bomb shelters and city authorities are responsible for about 176, which on the most part can accommodate between 100 and 300 people each or about 170,000 people overall while other underground premises can also be adapted for use, such as basements or garages.

The majority of bomb shelters are functional; however, as there was no need for them in the past 20 years a smaller number of shelters will require financial investment to have them cleaned, air filters changed, to replace equipment or to lubricate doors, it was said at the panel discussion “Urban security in circumstances of a possible threat” on Monday, which was organized by the Association of representatives of residential building dwellers in the City of Zagreb.

Assistant Head of the City office for local government, civil protection and safety, Mario Hrgovic said that shelters were being inspected, including community shelters intended to cater for residents from large flat buildings and shelters in residential buildings themselves.

As soon as the inspection is over we will publish the details of their location so that citizens can know where the closest shelter maintained by city authorities is located.

As far as shelters that are not in the remit of city authorities are concerned, Hrgovic said that the authorities had sent residential building managers a request to inspect their shelters and to remove any faults.

Purpose of bomb shelters is to provide safe haven for citizens for seven days

The purpose of bomb shelters is basic protection and for people to spend up to seven days in them, said Hrgovic but other underground facilities can be used as bomb shelters too.

Shelters are maintained just like any other common premises in a residential building and in addition to maintenance, training the population in safety is also required.

Hrgovic said that shelters are not designed for a long term stay but to be a safe haven for seven days so everything should be prepared to cater for people for that period.

An expert for nuclear-biological-chemical defense Zvonko Orehovec warned that in the case of a possible nuclear war, the contamination that would follow would completely change civilization as we know it, as well as our lifestyle – infrastructure, communication, food, water and the environment.

Shelters are necessary primarily to care for vulnerable people in the population like patients, children, the elderly and it is essential to pay attention to educating citizens so that they know how to act in case of peril and how to use shelters properly.