Threats for public safety in the 21ST Century

The aim of the following paper is to present the threats that have a direct impact on social development. The article adopts the distinction of threats into primary and secondary ones. The former entails natural phenomena such as the movement of tectonic plates, various forms of precipitation, or ambient temperature, both high and low. They result in floods, fires, earthquakes and massive water movements, e.g. tsunami, responsible for the damage of industrial and public infrastructure as well as private properties. Secondary threats are results of human activity. Industrial growth and technological advance lead to unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and change the demand for workforce in terms of both quality and quantity. Such threats to safety can be identified, resolved and prevented as opposed to those targeted directly at a given country, e.g. terrorism or cyber attacks. Often unexpected, they become increasingly common. It is essential for public administrations to detect and recognise both kinds of threats in order to react in time and minimise their negative effects.