ProSPeReS is a three-and-a-half-year-long set of activities aimed at developing procedures and increasing the level of protection in places of worship against terrorist threats, including attacks using CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) agents.
We have managed to work together on issues such as preparing a religious site for threats, determining its structure and specifics in such a way that it would be resistant to a terrorist attack. We have also created materials to train staff of such places and to distribute among the religious communities so that they are also prepared for possible threats and know what to do so as to avoid unnecessary human and material losses and other consequences of a potential terrorist attack. Thus, we have also focused on preventive activities, because we have noticed that the key thing is to convince people that the threat may actually occur and affect them. We wanted them to be aware that certain procedures must be developed and practiced in order to minimise possible losses in a situation when the threat can no longer be avoided
– says Marcin Podgrocki, the ProSPerES coordinator.
The project implemented by an international consortium of 17 entities from Poland, Slovakia, Greece, Finland and the Netherlands (including the police, fire services, Churches: Catholic Church, including Archdiocese of Lodz, Greek Orthodox Church and the Jewish Community of Warsaw) was also attended by scientists from the Biohazard Prevention Centre at the University of Lodz Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection.
The result of the consortium's work is a set of recommendations regarding countermeasure and response procedures, equipment, improvements to the infrastructure of religious sites and cooperation protocols with public services in the field of protection of places of religious worship. Of course, assuming that these are facilities and places to which the access of religious community cannot be limited. The recommendations cover equipment and procedures. They also include advice on shaping safe spaces, ending with safety management manuals, exercises and courses improving the competences of people responsible for places of worship.
The ProSPeReS project included, among other things, a large-scale anti-terrorist exercise in the Lodz Cathedral.
The implementation of the system developed under the project includes:
- preparation and initiation of modular training courses, including eLearning with VR,
- conducting large-scale exercises,
- launching a Europe-wide awareness campaign targeting religious leaders, venue staff and congregation participants.
The ProSPeReS project, which is just coming to an end, has been funded by the European Commission through the Internal Security Fund – Police programme. Its budget was more than EUR 3,300,000.
THE FULL PHOTO REPORT is available on the on the university's Flickr account. (go to Flickr).
Source: ProSPeReS Project
Edit: Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz
Photos: Bartosz Kałużny (Communications and PR Centre)