The Ministry admitted that there is a lack of coverings when crying in Lithuania: in some places, their number is really too small

The Minister of the Interior, Agnė Bilotaitė, was happy that the shelter network in Lithuania was created “from scratch” in two years.

“It didn’t exist, we created it from scratch. The network consists of 3.8 thousand shelters, which would accommodate about 1 million, or 36 percent. Lithuanian residents”, said A. Bilotaitė at the press conference on Monday.

According to her, one of the goals of civil protection is to achieve that 40% of people in the districts have the opportunity to hide. population, and in big cities – 60 percent, while the overall national average would reach – 50 percent.

Some cities lack shelters, 18 municipalities are in the red zone

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Vitalijs Dmitrijevas added that the number of shelters in Lithuanian cities is not the same. According to him, it depends on various factors: infrastructure, available network of buildings, etc.

However, the gap is quite large – only 6% of the shelters would be enough. of the population, 100 percent would find protection elsewhere. residents of the municipality.

“In some cities, the number of shelters is too small,” said V. Dmitrijev.

According to V. Dmitrijev, 17 municipalities of the country have reached the requirement set for them, another 24 municipalities have exceeded the average of the set requirement.

“The situation in those municipalities, but the work must be continued,” said the vice-minister.

According to V. Dmitriyev, 18 municipalities are in the “red background”, which means that these municipalities have not reached the set requirements for shelters. However, the vice minister did not reveal which municipalities these are.

The program provides 48 million for the development of shelters. euros

Will provide recommendations for apartment buildings

According to V. Dmitrijev, the network of shelters in Lithuania will expand due to the new construction regulation approved by the Minister of the Environment, which stipulates that shelters must be installed during the design and construction of new larger public buildings and taller apartment buildings.

“According to the development of new construction, the number of shelters will increase and will depend on the improvement of infrastructure in cities,” said V. Dmitrijev.

The new requirements stipulate that shelters should have a second exit, electricity, water supply, and no windows.

According to V. Dmitriev, such basic requirements for shelters in renovated apartment buildings will be determined in the recommendations provided by the ministry. It is being considered to follow the example of Finland, which divides shelters into three different levels of protection.

“One of our priorities is for those three levels to appear. We will inventory them and mark them,” said the vice-minister.

According to A. Bilotaitė, the ministry has prepared recommendations for the owners of private houses on how they could install a shelter in their home.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, 28 percent residents have a basement in their individual homes, which is adapted to protect against weather hazards.

According to V. Dmitriyev, an inventory of buildings managed by Turto banka, where shelters can be installed, is also currently being carried out.

President Gitanas Nausėda assures that he misses the greater cooperation of the Cabinet of Ministers with municipalities, in setting up civilian shelters in them. In addition, according to him, the Government currently ensures civil safety “at the speed of a turtle”. However, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė emphasizes the work that has already been done and says that she feels the lack of involvement of the municipalities themselves in civil security.

“I think a mixed approach is needed here. Leaving the municipalities with their headache and leaving everything to them and hoping that the process will move quickly is not a very fair way,” G. Nausėda explained during the presidential candidate debate on LRT radio on Monday.

According to the President, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Agnė Bilotaitė, has not yet ensured that the process of installing shelters in all municipalities takes place at the same speed. In addition, the head of state assures that he misses the Government’s cooperation with municipalities.

“Municipalities lack help. (…) The issue of civilian shelters is an urgent problem and the turtle step we are taking to install them is really unacceptable, because the safety of our people is really the highest priority. We live in the geopolitical reality that we live in, and we would not want dangers to arise where we could then point fingers and say, (…) we didn’t take care of it,” added G. Nausėda.

Ingrida Šimonytė claims that municipalities must also get involved

In response to criticism, Prime Minister I. Šimonytė emphasized that the concept of Civil Protection is currently prepared, which provides an action plan for further expanding the shelter network. True, according to her, the active involvement of municipalities is particularly important for this.

“I agree that municipalities need help. But (…) this is an independent function of the municipalities – civil safety, but regardless of this, the municipalities know best “on the ground” what the situation is, what the buildings are, where buildings can be adapted for shelters, where they cannot be adapted, where they can be adapted investments”, said I. Šimonytė in the debate.

According to the head of the government, the number of shelters in municipalities depends on how responsibly they undertook to install them, as well as on the size of the municipalities. And the Government itself, according to I. Šimonytė, cooperates with those municipalities that actively take care of civil safety.

According to I. Šimonytė, a third of the Lithuanian population could hide in shelters at the moment.

The Ministry of the Interior is going to create an app to warn residents

The MIA also presented its intentions to create a mobile app that would be integrated into the general population warning system.

Also, the ministry intends to follow the example of Finland and establish three levels of shelters, and will provide recommendations to apartment buildings under renovation on how to install shelters that meet the basic requirements.

This is provided for in the Civil Protection Strengthening and Development Program presented by the Ministry on Monday, in which the development directions, specific measures and funding needs of civil protection are foreseen until 2030.

“One of those tools is a mobile app, which should appear and work both to update residents’ knowledge and to act in case of danger to warn residents,” said V. Dmitrijev.

According to A. Bilotaitė, the aim is to create an integrated system for warning residents, which would combine warning sirens, short messages to residents, warning messages to mobile phones, messages on the public broadcaster, and a mobile app being developed.

“That system must be integrated, managed centrally, so that people can be warned as quickly as possible,” said the minister.

The program provides 5.5 million for the creation of an integrated warning system. EUR, of which about 500,000 for the creation and promotion of the app. euros from the funds of the European Union.

There are currently 944 warning sirens in Lithuania, which can warn about 60 percent. of the country’s population. The MIA’s goal is for sirens to reach 75 percent. of the country’s population.

According to A. Bilotaitė, about 200 sirens have been purchased from the program financed by Norway, which are being installed in 17 municipalities.

The Civil Protection Strengthening and Development Program was signed

On Monday, the Minister of the Interior, Agnė Bilotaitė, signed the Civil Security Strengthening and Development Program.

The above-mentioned program provides for the main directions of development of civil protection and specific measures, financing needs until 2030.

“This program will not only become a clear roadmap for how we will strengthen civil security – the program also provides the necessary funding for its implementation. The development of the Civil Defense Strengthening Program, which meets the challenges of this era, was motivated by the insecure neighborhood and the resulting military and hybrid threats; the Astrava nuclear power plant and the lessons of the war in Ukraine are also unsafe,” said Minister of the Interior Agnė Bilotaitė.

The Civil Protection Program includes the development of shelter infrastructure, improvement of the Warning System and strengthening of public information, increasing the preparedness of crisis management and civil protection system entities, strengthening the resilience of the Health Protection System, forming civil protection assistance teams, etc.

243 million is planned for the implementation of the entire program. euros.

Currently, the program has been submitted for coordination among institutions, later the program will be submitted to the Government, and then it will go to the Seimas for final approval.