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Last update - 00:00 03/06/2009
Sirens sound across Israel in state's largest civilian drill
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Home Front Command 

A rising and falling siren sounded Tuesday morning at 11 A.M. for a minute and a half as part of this year's Home Front Command national exercise, with all citizens encouraged to practice entering their protected rooms.

The exercise was meant to raise the public's preparedness for possible missile attacks on the country. The drill, named Turning Point 3, was run by the Home Front Command and the National Emergency Authority. It was the largest ever emergency exercise the nation has undertaken.

Tuesday's siren and secure room drill tested the national system of 2,300 sirens.
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In addition to the Home Front Command's request for all citizens to enter their secure rooms for 10 minutes, all educational institutions also participated in the drill. All students were instructed to enter their schools' designated secure rooms, shelters or other protected spaces, and afterward the students were shown a special broadcast prepared by the command specifically for them.

In addition, all Israel Defense Forces soldiers practiced the protected space drill, and all workplaces were requested to prepare protected areas for all employees to participate in the drill, if possible. Israelis were asked to prepare a secure room, shelter or other protected space in advance of the drill.

Essential services continued to function despite the exercise. The Home Front Command's instructions stated, "If there is an unreasonable disruption to your routine, you may continue with your regular activity. In any case, the location of the protected space must be known and clearly marked."

Vehicular traffic, including public transportation and private cars, continued as usual even during the sounding of the siren.

Tuesday's drill is only one part of the national exercise, which started Sunday and will continue through Thursday. During the first two days government offices, rescue services and emergency authorities were primarily tested. Tuesday, local authorities are joining the exercise. In particular, many municipalities in the center of the country will practice putting thousands of emergency volunteers to work in their neighborhoods, and a number of schools will practice hosting those who would need to be evacuated from their homes.

The Home Front's rescue battalions will also take part in the exercise, practicing rescuing victims from a building that was demolished especially for the event. In Eilat, emergency forces will simulate a mass disaster caused by a chemical weapons attack on a school.

Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, who is responsible for the exercise, said Monday, "Every citizen in Israel should know that in every place in the country, at any time, an emergency can happen."

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      1.   Peddling Paranoia 06:10  |  Mark Lincoln 02/06/09
      2.   need more than a test 06:19  |  Mark 02/06/09
      3.   Peddling Parnoia? More like reality 10:27  |  Gil 02/06/09
      4.   A waste of time and American money 11:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      5.   The most normal thing in the world 12:11  |  Clock 02/06/09
      6.   Mark Lincoln has no idea, he has never lived in Israel 12:13  |  Mark Leaman 02/06/09
      7.   Chris Linthwaite, Been there, done that, worn the T Shirt 12:45  |  Tzfonit 02/06/09
      8.   To Mark Lincoln: Read Churchill 13:18  |  Mladen Andrijasevic 02/06/09
      9.   Lincoln no paranoia no fear 13:41  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/06/09
      10.   LINCOLN Peddling amnesia,Hezb bombed Israeli civillians to start 14:09  |  PETER SM 02/06/09
      11.   #8 Margie of Tel Aviv 14:11  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      12.   Mark Lincoln, no rockets on Houston yet? 14:17  |  Tzfonit 02/06/09
      13.   Creating paranoia... 14:50  |  Anne 02/06/09
      14.   Chris seriously? 15:09  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/06/09
      15.   #7 Tzfonit 15:14  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      16.   mark lincoln 15:21  |  sharon 02/06/09
      17.   Linthwaite`s inanity 10 + the drill 15:39  |  ChanahS 02/06/09
      18.   ANNE All Scandinavians have to fear is riots if they dare 15:39  |  PETER SM 02/06/09
      19.   No point for some 15:56  |  A mother 02/06/09
      20.   Chris Linthwaite, do you have kids? 16:10  |  Tzfonit 02/06/09
      21.   #17 ChanahS 16:11  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      22.   Chris Linthwaite (#15) What crying children? 16:14  |  Gil 02/06/09
      23.   #14 Margie of Tel Aviv 16:19  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      24.   Come to your senses. 16:20  |  Richard Stander 02/06/09
      25.   Mark Leaman to Mark Lincoln. 16:22  |  zmogus 02/06/09
      26.   Gil of Haifa 16:35  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      27.   Chris Lighteight you make things up 16:38  |  x-ray 02/06/09
      28.   Mark Lincoln #1 16:40  |  Yariv 02/06/09
      29.   #20 Tzfonit 16:44  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      30.   Chris 16:50  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/06/09
      31.   zmogus 16:56  |  sharon 02/06/09
      32.   #27 x-ray 16:58  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      33.   chris linthwaite 17:09  |  sharon 02/06/09
      34.   Chris Linthwaite, what a strange idea. 17:10  |  Tzfonit 02/06/09
      35.   A hidden agenda? 17:12  |  utagawa 02/06/09
      36.   #30 Margie of Tel Aviv 17:16  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      37.   #32 Sharon 17:43  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      38.   Linthwaite 36 - what are you on about? 17:54  |  ChanahS 02/06/09
      39.   Chris is really upset 17:59  |  Bilbi 02/06/09
      40.   Chris get a job 18:12  |  Bilbi 02/06/09
      41.   Chris huh? 18:39  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/06/09
      42.   #38 ChanahS 18:51  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      43.   #39 Bibi 18:56  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/06/09
      44.   Linthwaite - is "faintly" amused 19:24  |  ChanahS 02/06/09
      45.   Linthwaite 29 19:26  |  ChanahS 02/06/09
      46.   It is about time 19:42  |  A mother 02/06/09
      47.   #31, sharon. Did you try ventilating your room? 22:10  |  zmogus 02/06/09
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