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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How do the pilot programs in Radviliškis and Molėtai plan to evaluate the success of the unified fire service model?
## Interview: Lithuania’s Unified Fire Service Pilot Program
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today, we’re discussing a new initiative in Lithuania aimed at improving emergency response times and firefighter safety. With me today is Saulius Greičius, the Director of the Fire Protection and Rescue Department (PAGD). Mr. Greičius, thank you for joining us.
**Greičius:** Thank you for having me.
**Host:** So, let’s start with the basics. Can you explain the current fire service structure in Lithuania and the challenges it presents?
**Greičius:** Lithuania currently operates a two-level fire safety system, with both state and municipal fire services. This system suffers from inefficiencies, higher administrative costs, and can sometimes lead to delays in response times. [1]
**Host:** Ah, so you’re saying it’s a bit fragmented? And that’s what this new pilot program is aiming to address?
**Greičius:** Precisely. The pilot program, which began in Radviliškis district municipality in January 2023 and has now expanded to Molėtai, seeks to unify both state and municipal services. By consolidating our resources and methodologies, we aim to create a more streamlined, efficient, and ultimately, safer system.
**Host:** And how exactly is this unification accomplished?
**Greičius:** Primarily through closer coordination, joint training programs, and standardized equipment. Radviliškis has shown promising results, with faster response times and improved firefighter preparedness. For example, we’ve implemented 11 new training programs covering everything from hydraulic rescue equipment to stress management techniques. [1]
**Host:** That sounds comprehensive. I understand there have also been concerns about the new model from some firefighters. How are these being addressed?
**Greičius:** Absolutely. We’ve been very conscious about ensuring that this transition is smooth and benefits both firefighters and the public they serve. In Radviliškis, for example, firefighters were involved throughout the process, their feedback was incorporated, and their working conditions, salaries, and training opportunities have seen improvements. We’ve seen very positive responses so far. [1]
**Host: ** That’s great to hear. What’s next for the pilot program?
**Greičius:** The success of the Radviliškis and Molėtai pilot projects will be carefully evaluated. We hope to publish the detailed findings soon. This will inform future decisions about expanding the unified system to other municipalities across Lithuania.
**Host:** Well, we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the progress of this pilot program. Thank you for shedding light on this important initiative, Mr. Greičius.
**Greičius:** Thank you for having me.
**Host:** We’ll be right back after the break with a look at the latest…
[1] https://ctif.org/country-member/lithuania
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