The document was signed by the Minister of the Interior Agnė Bilotaitė, Molėtai District Mayor Saulius Jauneika and Director of the Fire Protection and Rescue Department (PAGD) Saulius Greičius.
In order to create a unified system, the Ministry of the Interior has invited the country’s municipalities to voluntarily participate in testing it – the Radviliškis Fire and Rescue Service has joined the pilot model.
Molėtai became the second municipality in the country whose fire and rescue service is connected to PAGD.
“Quality help during fire and other disasters must reach people on time. The current two-level Fire Safety Assurance System is inefficient, more complicated to administer, and more expensive. We are making changes because we measure the cost of an inefficient system in human lives, so we have initiated a centralized pilot model, which is already being successfully applied by the Radviliškis district municipality,” said A. Bilotaitė.
According to the ministry, the purpose of this contract is to consolidate the forces of the state fire rescue service and the fire service of the Molėtai district municipality in order to ensure the high-quality performance of the fire safety function and its continuity.
The aim of the unified system is to improve the preparation of the fire rescue forces in the municipalities – the forces could arrive at the scene in a shorter time, they would be fully equipped with working and protective equipment and be able to perform a wider range of rescue work.
Mayor: will meet expectations
According to S. Jauneika, the coordinated activity of firefighters will more effectively and purposefully meet the expectations of the residents of the district in the event of an emergency and will contribute to the smoothness of rescue operations.
“Joint coordination of actions and joint coordination of preparations, provision of firefighters with special equipment and techniques, will apparently give completely different results than acting separately,” he said after signing the contract.
According to the mayor, there were no fears about the unified system, because the wishes and wishes of the firefighters were listened to, and the district council unanimously approved joining the model.
“When you put all the points together and say that the employment relationship continues, that the working conditions will improve, that there will be an additional person in the team and that there will always be two on call per team (…), plus the increase in wages and all the other things, there is additional training for physical for preparation. Actually, none of the firefighters resisted,” said S. Jauneika.
Will provide results
The pilot project in Radviliškis district municipality started in January 2023, according to the minister, during its implementation, the social guarantee of firefighters and the continuity of service were maintained.
“No, it’s not really stuck. Of course, we do not expect a large number of municipalities to participate in the pilot, this is the essence of the pilot project, the fact that several municipalities are participating and after some time we can evaluate the results and provide relevant decisions accordingly”, said A. Bilotaitė.
According to her, the evaluation of the Radviliškis district pilot project will be presented in the near future, at that time, S. Greičius indicated that the model has proven itself and is effective.
“In Radviliški, all incidents were responded to one hundred percent, two employees each, in all cases two employees were also on duty (…). The main thing is the safety of the residents and the safety of the firefighters themselves. It is clear that when firefighters arrive, they can perform firefighting and rescue work with a significantly higher quality, and their own safety is also significantly higher,” he said.
According to the head of the PAGD, 11 training programs included training on how to work with hydraulic rescue equipment, defibrillators, and organized stress management, suicide, recognition and prevention programs.
“For many firefighters, it was probably the most intense six months of training in their lives,” he said.
According to the Minister of the Interior, the pilot model will help to improve the training and equipment of Molėtai district municipal firefighters, raise their professional qualifications, increase their wages, as well as ensure a more prompt response of the forces to disasters and provide a basis for further changes that increase public safety in the area.
“It was primarily a fear of the officers themselves. I must point out that the officers will be fired, as shown by the Radviliškis model, that not a single officer was fired, they all continue to work, they all received additional equipment, training, and also in terms of financial expression, their salaries increased to 200 euros”, – A. Bilotaitė spoke.
The country currently has a two-tier fire safety and rescue system consisting of the Fire Protection and Rescue Department (PAGD) and the Municipal Fire Services (SPT), but the Ministry of the Interior says that this model is insufficiently efficient and effective and proposes to replace it with this new initiative .
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What are the long-term cost savings anticipated from implementing the unified fire safety system compared to the previous two-level model?
## Interview: Revolutionizing Fire Safety in Lithuanian Municipalities
**Interviewer:** Today, we are joined by Alex Reed, [Alex Reed Title], to discuss a groundbreaking initiative that aims to transform fire safety in Lithuania.
**Alex Reed:** Thank you for having me. I’m happy to discuss this important project.
**Interviewer:** Can you explain this new unified fire safety system being implemented in Lithuania?
**Alex Reed:** Of course! Traditionally, Lithuania relied on a two-level fire safety assurance system, which proven to be inefficient, expensive, and cumbersome.
The new unified system consolidated the forces of the state fire rescue service and municipal fire services. Molėtai is the latest municipality to join Radviliškis, embracing this pilot project aimed at improving response times, providing firefighters with better equipment and training, and ultimately, ensuring greater safety for residents.
**Interviewer:** What specific advantages does this unified system offer compared to the previous model?
**Alex Reed:**
The primary benefits are quicker response times, thanks to better coordination and resource allocation. Plus, firefighters are equipped with the latest working and protective gear, allowing them to tackle a wider range of emergencies. The larger pool of trained personnel also allows for more consistent service coverage.
**Interviewer:** How has the pilot project in Radviliškis progressed, and what lessons have been learned?
**Alex Reed:**
The Radviliškis pilot, launched in January 2023, has been extremely successful. The results are encouraging – all incidents were responded to promptly with a full team, showcasing the system’s effectiveness. We are carefully evaluating the data and feedback from both firefighters and communities to further refine the model before wider implementation.連携
**Interviewer:** What are the next steps for this initiative, and what does the future hold for fire safety in Lithuania?
**Alex Reed:**We are eager to share the findings from the Radviliškis pilot project in the near future. This data will inform our decisions regarding further expansion of the unified system. We are confident that this model represents a significant step forward in ensuring the safety and well-being of all Lithuanian citizens.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for providing such insightful information. We appreciate your time and dedication to this vital cause.
