Smiltene tests response to unexploded ammunition and evacuation

Civil protection exercises in Smiltene on Wednesday tested residents’ and emergency services’ readiness for a crisis involving unexploded ammunition and the evacuation of people, LSM reported.

The exercise began with a report that a casing had been found at 1 Baznīcas Square. The scenario involved historical unexploded ammunition being uncovered during surveying work near Smiltene Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Municipal police were tasked with securing the area, notifying the responsible authorities and activating the next stage of the response plan.

“The emergency services informed the Smiltene executive director and the chair of the council. A decision was then made to convene a meeting of the Civil Protection Commission. It was decided to wait two hours for the sappers. The area has been cordoned off and no one is being allowed in,” said Lotārs Grīnbergs, a civil protection and resource management specialist at Smiltene Municipality.

According to the exercise scenario, a group of 15 to 20 migrants was staying in the building. While the sappers were awaited, people playing migrants gradually arrived at the church.

The scenario was designed to test communication and responses involving people who have difficulty communicating in Latvian. Some participants had mobility restrictions, while another possible situation involved someone arriving with a pet.

Participants were told as little as possible in advance about how the events would develop.

“I personally think this is very, very important. I have been waiting for exercises like this for a long time, and I would also like these exercises to be even broader,” said participant Vineta Brunovska.

The participants were later taken by bus to an evacuation point, where they were registered and their needs assessed.

The municipality said the exercise made it possible to test a civil protection plan in practice and identify problems that might not be visible on paper.