Locating Public Bomb Shelters

Bomb shelter map (GIS)
The Home Front Command website

Services Provided by the Municipality in Times of Emergency

In times of emergency, the Municipality will continue to provide all vital services to its residents. To the extent possible and based on the nature of the emergency, the services will be provided in an uninterrupted fashion, while cooperating with emergency organizations, rescue teams and government ministries. The Municipality will function as usual and ensure that infrastructures are working properly, that the sanitation services are operational and that the roads are in good condition. It will activate the 106 Emergency Hotline, open various emergency facilities and operate a municipal command center that works in tandem with all the security, emergency and rescue agencies.

The services provided to residents, which aim to facilitate near-normal daily routines and respond to different emergency scenarios, include:

• Circulating information about the emergency events and vital municipal services
• Opening and operating the network of public bomb shelters
• Relocating residents whose homes have been destroyed and supplying them with temporary housing solutions
• Extending physical and emotional support and treating individuals and the community
• Ensuring access to water, of the quality and quantity needed for sustenance
• Providing vital basic services, such as trash removal, health services, veterinary services, etc.
• Operating the school system in a format determined by the central government and the Municipality
• Repairing damaged buildings and infrastructures and restoring them to full functionality
• Identifying deceased victims and helping with funeral arrangements

Emergency Facilities

During a state of emergency, the Municipality operates a range of emergency facilities:

• Evacuation centers

These centers take in evacuees and offer them a temporary place to sleep and provide them with food and basic auxiliary services that enable them to maintain a near-normal routine until alternative housing is found for them or they can return home.

• Public bomb shelters and underground parking lots

Public bomb shelters and underground parking lots, whose safety standards have been inspected and approved by the Municipality, are deployed throughout the city and offer another tier of emergency shelter in addition to the protected rooms, stairwells and bomb shelters that exist in private homes and apartment buildings.

• Gas mask distribution centers

During states of emergency, a number of centers run by the Home Front Command will be opened throughout the city, where gas mask kits will be distributed.

• Sirens

The network of sirens in the city was installed by the Home Front Command (IDF), which is also responsible for its maintenance. In times of emergency, the sirens deployed throughout the city warn people who are outdoors about an approaching danger.

• Blood donation sites

In certain states of emergency, there is often a need for blood donations. Magen David Adom (EMS) and the Municipality will open blood donation sites (at schools and public institutions) and an appeal will be made to the public to come and donate blood.

• Vaccination sites

According to directives issued by the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Health during a state of emergency, the public will, if needed, be vaccinated against epidemics. To ensure their health, the city's residents will be asked to come to these sites to receive a vaccination.

• Emotional support centers

Psychosocial treatment will be offered at these centers to people who are suffering from anxiety. The treatment will be provided by integrated care teams from the Home Front Command, Ministry of Health and the Municipality.

Emergency Preparedness

Refurbishing public bomb shelters: many public bomb shelters in the city have been refurbished, and for every bomb shelter there is a responsible representative for opening it when needed. Furthermore, the Municipality is in the middle of a project that will deploy Wi-Fi in public bomb shelters.

Preparing school system institutions: all the institutions (schools and community centers, including all their staff members, are available to the public during a state of emergency. The buildings are used as evacuation centers and as sites where basic services are provided to residents who have been evacuated from their homes. They are also used for other purposes, such as: facilities that treat people suffering from anxiety, people who require medical attention and people who require social services, medication vaccination/ distribution sites, gas mask distribution centers, water distribution sites, blood donation sites and, in the event of an earthquake, as municipal logistical headquarters that operate in open areas and assist the public.

Operating the school system: Opening or closing the schools: using all available media, the Municipality will inform residents whether the schools are open or not, based on an assessment of the situation in the city, the recommendations of the security forces and a decision by the Mayor. The Municipality will also inform residents whether large gatherings and events can be held.

Holding morning and afternoon sessions if needed: in a prolonged state of emergency and until the situation settles down, two daily sessions will be held at those schools whose existing bomb shelters are unable to accommodate the entire student body.

States of emergency at the schools and sending students home: should there be an unexpected incident that necessitates sheltering the students, the trained educational staff will comply with the Home Front Command guidelines for "best protection possible" (bomb shelter/stairwell/inner room, etc.).

If pursuant to Ministry of Education instructions it will be necessary to send students home, you are obligated to adhere to the instructions governing the release of your children from school in an organized and responsible manner.

Regional Headquarters

• Managing the emergency routine in the area
• Reporting needs and malfunctions at the public bomb shelters to the relevant personnel at the Municipality
• Ensuring the provision of municipal services to the community in the area
• Providing information to the residents of the designated area
• Handling inquiries by residents and connecting residents with municipal departments (Inspection, City Beautification, Sanitation, Social Services, Education, Engineering, and others)
• Repairing damages in affected areas and coordinating all the rehabilitation efforts
• Recruiting volunteers and coordinating volunteer activities in the area

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