Let's say your kibbutz or town was getting pounded by rockets. You'd want as many safe places to hide as possible. But building shelters can be a expensive, cumbersome proposition. So an Israeli concern has started making pre-fab, 42-ton, 130 square-foot rocket-proof "LifeShields" for Sabras to step inside when there's an attack.
With foot-thick walls of steel-reinforced solid concrete, the shelters claim to match Israeli military standards. But the founders of "Operation Lifeshield" aren't looking to sell the shelters to the government. Instead, they've embarked on a fundraising campaign, to buy the protective sites for Israeli towns.
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"When the air raid sirens sound, there are only about 30 seconds to find shelter. If you can't find shelter, your life may be over. Yes, 30 seconds can be the difference between life and death," says the group's site, which features pleas from about a half-dozen different municpalities for the "shields."
"So far, four transportable shelters have been donated, Ynet News notes. One has gone to a kindergarten, another to a medical center, and a third to an environmental station "which serves as the damage control center in case of a missile attack on a chemical plant in the region."
There's a long tradition of donating money and gear for Israel's defense. (One of my grandfathers, for example, did a bit of gun-running to Israel, in the early days of the state.) And in the U.S., plenty of outfits raise cash to help out soldiers and their families. What's unusual about this "Operation" is that the group seems to be both the supplier and the fundraiser. It's almost as if my grandfather was working for Smith & Wesson, while doing his gun-running.
(High five: Weaponsurvey.com)
