Estonia drill exposes gaps in public shelter readiness

Estonia’s nationwide emergency alert test and shelter drills showed that public awareness and access to suitable shelters remain limited, ERR reported.

At 3 p.m., the EE-ALARM warning sirens sounded across the country and alert messages were sent to mobile phones. The Fire and Rescue Board said it set a record for text-message delivery, reaching one million phone users in 17 minutes, compared with 27 minutes during the previous test. The agency plans to introduce a faster alert system that would deliver messages to all phones within seconds.

Shelter drills were held in Tallinn, Tartu and Haapsalu. In a 15-minute exercise in Tallinn’s Rotermanni district, most participants reached an underground car park within five minutes. Tallinn municipal police crisis preparedness specialist Sergo Kohal said participants responded well, with no bottlenecks that he knew of.

However, the Fire and Rescue Board’s northern rescue centre shelter adviser, Anu Vaikjärv, said more public information was needed, as many people did not know what the sirens meant. Participants said the exercise helped them identify where to go, but some lacked suitable shelter at home. One said his apartment building had no basement, while another described using a windowless room despite the building having no basement level.

Kohal said Estonia was behind in its shelter capacity. He said authorities had discussed installing about 50 modular shelters in urban areas, alongside improving shelter options in existing buildings and basements. Vaikjärv said apartment associations were increasingly seeking advice, and support schemes were due to become available.

From July 2027, the law will require apartment associations in buildings larger than 1,200 square metres to have a shelter plan. By 2028, they will also have to adapt a suitable shelter.