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 measures are in place to ensure that firefighters transitioning to the new unified system feel supported and retain job security?
## Lithuanian Fire Services Uniting for Faster, More Effective Response
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today we’re discussing an exciting new development in Lithuanian fire safety: a unified response system being piloted in several municipalities. Joining us to talk about this initiative is Minister of the Interior Agnė Bilotaitė. Welcome, Minister.
**Minister Bilotaitė:** Thank you for having me.
**Host:** Can you tell us more about this new unified system and why it’s being implemented?
**Minister Bilotaitė:** Certainly. Our current two-level fire safety system has proven inefficient, expensive, and more difficult to administer. That’s why we’re moving towards a centralized model. This means consolidating local fire services with the state fire rescue service, PAGD, to ensure a faster, more effective response to emergencies.
**Host:** Molėtai is the latest municipality to join this pilot project. What are the expected benefits for the residents of Molėtai
**Minister Bilotaitė:** Residents can expect quicker response times, more readily equipped firefighters, and a wider range of rescue capabilities. This means that during a crisis, help will reach them more quickly and with greater efficiency, potentially saving lives and minimizing damage.
**Host:** The Radviliškis district, the first to join this pilot program, appears to be experiencing positive results. Can you tell us more about how the pilot project is progressing?
**Minister Bilotaitė:** Indeed. The Radviliškis pilot project has been successful. Training programs have been implemented, fire services are more prepared, and response times have improved. We’re currently evaluating the results and will share a detailed report soon.
**Host:** There must be some adjustments for firefighters transitioning into this new system. How are you ensuring a smooth process?
**Minister Bilotaitė:** We are committed to supporting firefighters through this transition. Their employment and working conditions remain secure, and they receive additional training and resources. Importantly, we’ve been working closely with local councils and firefighters themselves to ensure their concerns are heard and addressed.
**Host:** Thank you for providing us with these insights, Minister. We hope this pilot project further strengthens Lithuania’s firefighting capabilities and brings greater peace of mind to its citizens.
**Minister Bilotaitė:** That’s exactly what we aim to achieve.
