Why are there no shields in playgrounds in Haifa? • "This is the last refuge left for children"

(haipo) - One of the biggest challenges for parents these days is the many hours the children spend at home due to the war. In the current situation, when the education system is not functioning normally, with the directives of the Home Front Command and the constant threat of missiles, the amusement parks and playgrounds are almost the last remaining refuge. Unfortunately, most playgrounds in Haifa do not provide any possibility to defend yourself.

Parents from the Hadar neighborhood in Haifa and other neighborhoods in the city demand that shields be placed in the playgrounds and public playgrounds.

The war in the north, which was expanding and is now fully present in Haifa and its surroundings, caught most of the residents in fatigue and stress after a difficult and challenging year. For the children, this is another year in which they do not get to experience a routine, both academically and socially. While distance learning or face-to-face learning takes place partially among the school students, among the kindergarten children the problem is even more serious: some of them have not returned to the educational frameworks at all, and others do so partially due to the lack of protected spaces in the kindergartens, and there are also quite a few parents who fear and prefer, in light of The situation, leave them at home.

The parents, who are already exhausted from the struggle to combine work with childcare, face the loss of working days and the difficulty of going out with the children to get some fresh air and play in the playgrounds, almost the only thing available to them in the complex days in which we find ourselves.

Parents from the Hadar neighborhood contacted the municipality and demanded, as mentioned, that shields be placed in public parks in their neighborhood. According to them, they encountered a frustrating answer, according to which the municipality does not intend to place shields in the neighborhood.

One of the residents of Hadar, a mother of small children, said: "In our neighborhood there are many children who cannot go back to the kindergartens because they are not protected at all. In addition, the children cannot even go out to play in the playgrounds, because there are no minimum protective measures and there is no possibility of reaching a protected space at the required time According to the guidelines, it is forbidden to be in an open area if it is not possible to reach a protected area within a reasonable period of time. ".

According to her, when she inquired with friends in other cities, she was told that as soon as the residents contacted the municipality with a request to place shields near the playgrounds, the municipality acted quickly and placed shields near every public garden. "Why doesn't this happen here?" asks the mother in frustration.

The combination between the lack of accessible public shelters in many neighborhoods and the lack of protection in playgrounds creates a situation where parents are forced to lock their children in their homes, fearing the risk to their lives if they go out to play.

The topic of protection comes up a lot lately, naturally. Among other things, there is also the problem of their maintenance, which became clear when they were placed: many of the cisterns in the city have become public toilets, which takes away the possibility of using them for their intended use. Another detail that is worth noting is that only about 10 people can enter one safe, and in very tight conditions - up to 15 people.

Haifa Municipality gave a response to Haifa:
"Seven shelters have been placed in Haifa. The shelters are not placed in residential neighborhoods, but in exposed places (such as the beach promenades and Hecht Park) where there are no buildings, which can be entered within 60 seconds. The shelters do not replace the shelters and are intended for a small number of people (up to 15 people) and not for large audiences.
Individual passers-by who are near the shields in open places can enter them, wait 10 minutes and move to another site to improve the shielding.
The municipality repeats and emphasizes that in any case of an alarm, one must act according to the "most protected" instructions of the Home Front Command, which repeat and prove themselves to save lives.

Instructions for choosing a protected space during an alarm from the Araf Command:

When an alarm sounds, enter the most available and safest protected space within 60 seconds:
MMD/MMK - the preferred choice, to close windows and doors.
Shared shelter - provided it is inside the building and can be reached through an internal stairwell.
Public shelter - only if it can be reached within 60 seconds.

If there is no MMD/MMK or shelter:
Upper floor residents in a building with more than three floors - go down two floors and stay in the stairwell.
Upper floor residents in a three-story building - go down one floor and stay in the stairwell.
When there are no alternatives, choose an interior room with a minimum of exterior walls and windows. Sit below the window line and stay away from areas with ceramics, glass, and devices that may shatter.

Outside the building:
In a built-up area - enter the building and follow the instructions.
In an open area - lie on the ground and protect your head.
By car - stop, get out and enter a nearby building. If not possible, lie on the ground and protect the head.

These instructions save lives - you must act accordingly.