CELEBRATING

THE OLDEST

NATIONAL

PARK

ŠKODA AUTO MARKS 11 YEARS OF

COOPERATION WITH KRNAP

O

n Friday, 18 May, the Krkonoše National Park (KRNAP) celebrated

55 years since its founding, which makes

it the oldest national park in our country.

As a partner, ŠKODA AUTO also joined

the event. The monastery garden in

Vrchlabí hosted not only long-term partners from the park administration but

also representatives from the Ministry of

the Environment and ambassadors from

Israel, Georgia and Armenia. The carmaker was presented by Dr. Ivan Slimák,

PKD manager – DQ Transmission production in Vrchlabí.

The factory has cooperated wit h

KRNAP since 2007. The cooperation was

initiated through a project called ŠKODA

Trees, whose aim was to plant a tree for

every car sold in the Czech Republic.

Twelve years later, more than 820,000

trees have been planted in 100 locations.

Recently, employees also began to participate in volunteer plantings, forest litter clean-ups and a national park litter

clean-up operation. ŠKODA AUTO selected the tree planting supported by its

employees as a symbol of company focus

on social and ecological values as a part

of Green Future strategy. The most recent

event of ŠKODA employees was held on

16 June 2018 in KRNAP. Volunteers planted 600 beech trees in the beautiful location above Špindlerův Mlýn. RED

AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT

SITUATION IN KRNAP IS AVAILABLE ON:

http://www.facebook.com/spravakrnap

NO BIG WATER

THREATS

ANTI-FLOOD BARRIERS BUILT IN MAY

WERE ONLY FOR TRAINING PURPOSES

T

his year, the vice-chairman of the anti-flood

committee, Luboš Míšek,

could announce that “the barriers are fine, and the time limit has been complied with.” Anti-flood trainings are held once

a year. In three ŠKODA AUTO

buildings (the motor centre, the

former Akuma and the emission centre, which are located in the floodplain), anti-flood

barriers are being built. Therefore, it is necessary for the carmaker to prepare for a situation in which the water would

come. The flood plans and prevention blocks describe who is

supposed to do what in such a

situation. In order to verify that

the barriers are in a good condition and everything can be built

quickly, the preventive event

was held this year. “This year,

everything was absolutely successful, and the barriers were

built within the time limit. The

training proved the completeness of all the technical means

for anti-flood safety. Securing

the areas complies with the anti-flood safety documentation.

The barriers will go through the

necessary maintenance, which

means that the sealing will

be repaired in places where it

was broken”, Míšek said about

the event. The training started

in the area of the former Akuma, where the first entrance to

the bridge over the Klenice River was closed. Then a barrier

next to the front desk followed,

and one by one a total of six locations were closed in the area.

Swing check valves for rain

sewers were tested, as well as

the diesel aggregate functionality. If there is a flood, the valves

will be closed so that the water

from the river does not go back

into the sewers in the area. The

pumps also help to take the water out – these are powered by

the aggregate mentioned above.

The training continued in

the motor centre, where barriers were built directly into the

entrances of individual buildings. The same was done in

the emission centre. “Barriers

are built in line with the anti-flood plans that anticipate a

third-degree flood – the state

of danger”, Míšek adds.

Prevention blocks

The time limit (tens of minutes) to build the barriers is

given. The total time to construct anti-flood barriers in the

former Akuma is two hours. If

the flood comes, the employees

must first empty the parking

lot. The anti-flood committee

regularly monitors the situation on the rivers. In the Akuma

area, they monitor the water

level in the Klenice and Jizera

rivers, and the level of the Jizera River in the motor centre

and the emission centre. As the

flow from Železný Brod takes

approximately eight hours,

they are fortunate to have

enough time for everything.

Flood activity levels

In the case of floods, the information

system is maintained by the carmaker’s

anti-flood committee via telephone.

I. LEVEL – AWARENESS

Emerges when there is the threat of a

flood. It decreases if the causes recede and

when the indicative water level is reached.

The patrolling and reporting services

usually initiate their activity.

II. LEVEL – EMERGENCY

Is announced and called off in cases where

the threat grows into a real flood status;

however, there are no spills or damage

outside the channel. Flood bodies are

activated, and the anti-flood committee

and its staff begin their activity.

III. LEVEL – DANGER

Is announced and called off in cases of

immediate danger or when extensive

damages occur, as well as in life-threatening

situations or a threat of property damage

in the floodplain. Security and rescue works

are carried out as required.

EVA JAROŠOVÁ

JUNE 2018 ŠKODA MOBIL 9