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 stated benefits of the unified fire rescue system for firefighters?
## Lithuania’s Fire Rescue Services Undergoing Reform: An Interview with Mayor Jauneika
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today we’re discussing a major development in Lithuania’s emergency response system – the unification of fire rescue services. Joining us is Saulius Jauneika, Mayor of Molėtai District, one of the early adopters of this new model.
Welcome, Mr. Mayor!
**Mayor Jauneika:** Thank you for having me.
**Host:** Could you tell us a little about this new unified fire rescue system and why your municipality chose to participate in the pilot program?
**Mayor Jauneika:** Of course! The current two-tier system, with both municipal and state firefighters, is inefficient and costly. This new model aims to consolidate these forces, leading to faster response times, better equipped firefighters, and ultimately, improved safety for everyone.
**Host:** There have been some concerns raised about potential disruptions and job insecurity for firefighters during this transition. Can you address those concerns?
**Mayor Jauneika:** We carefully considered the potential impact on our firefighters and ensured their voices were heard throughout the process. This unified system actually improves their working conditions. It guarantees employment, offers increased wages, provides additional training opportunities, and ensures that two firefighters are always on call, improving their safety and response capabilities.
**Host:** That’s reassuring to hear. From your experience with the pilot program in Molėtai, are there any initial results you can share with us?
**Mayor Jauneika:** Absolutely! We’ve already seen positive results thanks to the coordinated efforts of our firefighters. The pilot program is clearly demonstrating the benefits of this new system. Emergency response is more efficient, and our residents feel more confident knowing they have a well-equipped and highly trained firefighting force ready to respond quickly in times of need.
**Host:** What would your message be to other municipalities considering joining this unified system?
**Mayor Jauneika:** I would encourage them to embrace this change. The benefits for both firefighters and the community are undeniable. This is an opportunity to modernize our emergency services and provide the highest level of protection for all Lithuanian citizens.
**Host:** Thank you for sharing your insights, Mr. Mayor. It sounds like a promising step towards a more efficient and effective fire rescue service in Lithuania.
**Mayor Jauneika:** Thank you.
