Tallinn on Thursday installed a modular shelter in the green area at Juhkentali 10, the first shelter of its kind to be placed in public urban space in Estonia.
The shelter was donated to the city by construction company Citysec Industry and is based on a standardized reinforced concrete design used in Ukraine developed to provide residents with short-term protection during emergencies.
The shelter is made of reinforced concrete and its structure is designed to reduce risks arising from explosions, shock waves and flying debris. The modular design allows it to be quickly relocated, expanded or installed in different locations if necessary.
The demonstration shelter is intended to give city residents a better understanding of where and how to seek shelter during a crisis.
The modular shelter installed in the green area at Juhkentali 10 is a pilot project through which the city will assess the practicality of the solution, its ease of use, residents’ awareness and the shelter’s suitability for the urban environment. Based on the experience gained, the city will decide on possible next steps and whether to introduce the solution more widely.
According to Tallinn Deputy Mayor Tiit Terik (Center Party), Ukraine’s experience in crisis situations is also valuable for Estonian cities.
“Ukraine’s experience clearly shows how important it is for people to have access to safe and readily available shelters during emergencies. The contribution of our Ukrainian partners gives Tallinn an opportunity to examine a real-world solution that has been tested in practice and assess its potential use in our urban environment. This is an important step in strengthening Tallinn’s crisis preparedness and civil protection,” Terik said.
He added that Tallinn is also working on a crisis kindergarten program and plans to procure mobile shelters through a public tender process.
The project is being carried out in cooperation with government agencies and partners.
The article was updated to add comments from Tiit Terik.
—
