Twelve municipalities out of 60 have met the target to offer the population a “safe haven” from danger set by the Government.
“The aim is that 60% of the residents of the city municipality and 40% of the population of the district municipality should find a safe haven in such a shelter. There are twelve municipalities that have already achieved this target set by the Government. This is our common goal to ensure that the shelter network expands,” Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė told a press conference on Monday.
“Within a year, we have built up a brand new network of more than 3,300 shelters across Lithuania. This is not a final list, it is an ongoing process,” she added.
Bilotaitė also said that municipalities themselves are responsible for the network and the marking of shelters.
The minister pointed out that shelters across the country could host 31% of the population at present. The Government's target is at least 50%.
According to Bilotaitė, 50 municipalities have hired preparedness officers, who are exclusively responsible for civil protection. Their responsibilities include evacuation plans and the development of the shelter network.
Edgaras Geda, head of Civil Safety at the Fire and Rescue Department, noted that Lithuania is a Baltic leader in developing shelters. Nearly half of the municipalities have already approached the target set by the Government, he said.
