Personal and mutual protection of citizens in the local community

Abstract

Analyzing data on emergency events that marked the past decade in Zadar County, it has been determined that there is a need for increased communication and awareness among all residents of the county about the risks we live with and share our living space. New challenges for the local community caused by extreme weather events, as well as the increase in the consequences
of known risks and their consequences on human lives, material and cultural assets, agriculture, flora and fauna, represent a need to intensify cooperation of the Civil Protection Directorate with all levels of legally obligated parties to establish civil protection. In this context, we will briefly focus on emergency events in Zadar County in the period from 2014 to 2024 as a reference period of 10 years in which a significant number of emergency events occurred. Emergency events confirm the necessity of the continuous efforts of the Civil Protection Directorate to prepare the local community for potential risks and reduce the risk of disasters through preventive and preparatory activities. In most of the analyzed emergency events, the civil protection system was activated through the activities of the civil protection headquarters and its work contributed to a timely response and elimination of the consequences of the emergency event. It is necessary to think about the self-sufficiency of the local community in responding to the consequences caused by  emergency situations. Can the local community, using exclusively the operational forces of the civil protection system, provide a quick and effective response in the area of its territorial jurisdiction? Are the available human capacities of the operational forces sufficient? Is there an interest among citizens to participate in activities in response to emergency events? This professional paper will provide answers to the previously raised questions by analyzing the state of the available operational forces and reactions to emergency events in the observed area. At the same time, it is intended to draw attention to the importance of knowing the risks and dangers and the procedures for citizens to behave in emergency situations. Ultimately, the aim of the paper is to explain the importance of implementing citizen education that is continuously carried out by the Civil Protection Directorate in order to raise awareness and reduce disaster risk, i.e. strengthen the resilience of the local community.