The Faculty of the Environment Does Not Underestimate the Protection of Soft Targets

On September 16th 2024, the Faculty of the Environment hosted its first seminar at UJEP focused on the protection of soft targets in the CPTO building. Experienced professionals, former members of special forces, and police negotiators Jiří Basl and Miroslav Švéda from sec-agency.cz, led the seminar with the participation of faculty leadership, academic and non-academic staff, and several representatives from other faculties. They demonstrated that the protection of soft targets is not as straightforward as many might think.

During the five-hour seminar, the trainers presented the basic facts related to soft targets, showed numerous authentic videos, and recommended potential responses and measures to help mitigate the impact of an attack or other risk situations. An essential part of the response to unexpected situations is mental readiness. The trainers highlighted how relying on automatic – instinctive reactions of an untrained person can be misleading. In small practical exercises, volunteers experienced mildly stressful situations and practiced their reactions. The trainers then provided context, discussed better solutions, and addressed the moral dilemmas of seemingly “unsolvable” situations.

We also received a brief overview of the appropriate equipment for emergency situations, particularly in light of recent attacks in the Czech Republic and abroad. Equipment such as first aid kits (IFAK), self-defense tools like pepper sprays, tactical pens, telescopic batons, and even simple items like a metal pen or sturdy folder can make a difference. The importance of addressing this issue at the highest level of an organization was emphasized, including the use of alarm systems, code words, or protocols for emergency situations. Finally, the necessity of analyzing organizational spaces and keeping emergency procedures as simple and clear as possible was underscored.

The faculty leadership takes this issue seriously and, within its capabilities and in cooperation with other UJEP units, will strive to improve preparedness for crisis situations, both in terms of staff and infrastructure, even though we believe the likelihood of such events is very low.