First-aid post

One of crucial components in the Territorial Air Defence rescue system was proper protection and evacuation of people injured in an attack. The key element thereof were first-aid posts located in shelters under hospitals or health centres. They were to hold registration and segregation of casualties, and provide them with medical aid. These structures consisted of decontamination rooms, ORs, wards and staff rooms, as well as laboratories and storage rooms for medical equipment and medicines. One of Nowa Huta’s first-aid posts was located under the Stefan Żeromski Hospital. The approx. 500 m2 space has preserved its original floor plan and most of shelter equipment.

Command posts

Command posts were organised at Territorial Air Defence stations of province, city, and district level, as well as at Citizens’ Militia stations and at key workplaces. They were designed in specially selected shelters whose location allowed easy and efficient command over an action. Location of such structures was supposed to be as distant as possible from buildings that could fall victim to an air raid. Thus, they were constructed under special-design detached houses, schools and administrative buildings (in the case of workplaces). It was also required to provide for emergency command posts, designed according to the same guidelines, located in other part of the city or district.

Command posts have been constructed in high-strength structures (usually category 1 or 2). Except for obligatory rooms, every shelter consisted also of operation rooms, report rooms, a telephone exchange, a battery room, a leisure room, rooms for the commanding officer and couriers, an office; and it was also often equipped with a power generator. By one of the antechambers there was prepared a space for decontaminating people who enter the shelter (e.g. couriers), consisting of a changing room, showers and a dressing room. The head command post at the Lenin Steelworks was located in the S building of the administrative complex and has been preserved in a perfect shape. Command posts of the district station were located in the Young Worker’s Home (Stalowe neighbourhood) and in the 11-class comprehensive school in D-3 neighbourhood (Zgody).