The mayor of Tallinn, Mihhail Kõlvart, sent an appeal to the Minister of the Interior, Lauri Läänemetsa, in which he asked to keep the Kopli rescue command, as it is a first responder in a district where more than 60,000 people live. The reason is the new developments and residents added to the area, the industrial companies operating in Kopli, the security-affecting peninsula surrounded by the sea, and the area’s narrow roads.
Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart explained why the availability of help for local residents will deteriorate when the Kopli rescue command is liquidated. “This means that in North Tallinn, which is a peninsula and surrounded by the sea on three sides, help arrives later and the consequences of accidents become more severe. We can already see that, although the nearest rescue command is Lilleküla, it is very difficult to reach Kopli on time during peak traffic hours. There have been cases when Lilleküla commando is out and Kopli commando covers both Lilleküla and Kopli at the same time. Not to mention cases such as the fire in the apartment building on Pae Street in Lasnamäe, which put the Kopli commando under a special burden,” wrote Kõlvart.
In his address, the mayor pointed out that the importance of the Kopli rescue command from the point of view of the security of North Tallinn has grown steadily, because the area has become an attractive area for new developments and the number of inhabitants of North Tallinn is expected to increase in the coming years. In addition to new developments, this is an area with a large number of old residences with fireplaces and gas appliances, accidents related to which are predictable during the heating season. In order to understand the role of Kopli’s rescue command, one must also consider the industrial heritage, the maritime position and the narrow movement paths of the peninsula.
Kõlvart reminded the interior minister that the Kopli rescue command has also been responsible for rescue operations from water bodies, and there are also two public beaches in North Tallinn. In addition, the readiness to respond to man-made accidents must be taken into account, because there are considerable industrial companies in Northern Tallinn.
“The operational rescue service is part of the broad national defense and is also responsible for crisis management in a broader sense. Using the example of Ukraine’s experience, we can see that the role of dedicated rescuers in rescuing local people from dilapidated buildings is of primary importance,” added Kõlvart.
At the same time, Mihhail Kõlvart drew the attention of the Minister of the Interior to the fact that the most important goals, principles and directions of action of the Internal Security Development Plan 2020-2030 are the creation of a preventive and safe living environment, fast and competent assistance and solid internal security. The decision to close the Kopli Rescue Command, which ensures the safety of tens of thousands of people, is diametrically opposed to all these goals.
“The city of Tallinn expects the Ministry of the Interior to fulfill the goals of the internal security development plan, and not to significantly reduce security in the district with more than 60,000 inhabitants. Therefore, we urge you to leave the Kopli rescue command with the rescuers, to whom we are grateful every day for being ready to risk their lives in an emergency,” wrote Kõlvart.
