Israelis who have forgotten where the nearest shelter is will be given a chance to brush up this week as the IDF Homefront Command launches a five-day missile attack drill dubbed "Turning Point." The civil defense drill is slated to simulate a situation in which Israel comes under conventional missile attack from the north and south simultaneously, as well as missile strikes on vital strategic facilities. Methods of countering cyber attacks and courses of action in the event that the country's electricity and communications fail will also be practiced. In addition to the Homefront Command, the Israel Police, Magen David Adom, the Fire and Rescue Services, various government ministries and local authorities will be participating in the drill. Over the course of the week, the various public entities will practice the passive evacuation of residents, and the local authorities will be asked to test their ability to take in thousands of residents who have fled areas under fire. Drills to review practices for search and rescue in destroyed buildings will be held at a number of locations throughout the country, as well as scenarios of terrorist attacks and mass casualty events. The public is advised that two sirens will sound on Tuesday: one at 11:05 am for the benefit of school pupils, and a second one at 7:05 pm, which is planned to allow families to test their response. The Homefront Command is asking that after the sirens go off, the public follow instructions about what to do in the case of a missile attack: find the closest appropriate shelter available in the allotted advanced warning time for their areas. The siren will also be broadcast on the radio, on television and on the Internet. Half an hour prior, alert messages will be disseminated to people's cell phones. In the event that a real security incident occurs during the drill, an additional siren will go off and the nation's media outlets will broadcast a message to that effect. Residents of the Gaza periphery will not participate in the drill, and no sirens will be activated in that area. The mass civil defense drill is not the only security activity taking place in Israel this week: Israel Defense Forces exercises will see increased movement of troops and aircraft throughout the country, particularly in areas under the IDF's Northern Command, which will be drilling additional security scenarios. As part of the military activity, sirens will sound at the nation's air force bases. The IDF noted that the drills were being conducted according to a set schedule and should not be seen "as any change whatsoever in the level of preparedness."
