The Crisis Management Centre, in cooperation with relevant agencies and field ministries, has developed the “Action Guidelines for Public Administration and Municipal Institutions, Essential Service Providers, Legal Entities and Other Institutions during Early Warning Notifications (cell broadcast)”, taking into account incidents involving unmanned aerial vehicle threats in the eastern border area of Latvia.
The aim of the guidelines is to define those sectors of employment where it is essential to continue on-site operations to ensure business continuity in the affected area when an early warning system notification of an airspace threat has been received, as well as to provide recommendations for action during an active airspace threat.
The guidelines specify the institutions that must ensure continuity of operations. The heads of these institutions must plan and coordinate the performance of duties timely, based on the institution’s civil protection, disaster medicine, business continuity, sector resilience or emergency preparedness plans (crisis plans), including the action algorithms and procedures contained therein. If a cell broadcast notification is issued in a specific area, employees of the relevant institutions act in accordance with the algorithms approved in the institution’s crisis plans.
When moving outdoors during an active airspace threat, the following safety measures must be observed:
minimize time spent outdoors, remaining outside only as long as necessary to perform urgent work duties or to reach the nearest shelter;
identify in advance possible locations where one can quickly take cover (e.g., buildings, underground engineering structures, or other constructions that can serve as protection);
avoid open fields and exposed areas where no natural or artificial cover is available and a person is easily visible from the air;
do not remain near high-risk facilities, especially avoiding oil storage tanks, main gas pipelines, or chemical storage sites that may pose additional risks of explosions or contamination in case of an incident;
closely monitor the airspace and surroundings, and if a suspicious aircraft is seen or heard, immediately evacuate to a safe environment or shelter;
do not approach fallen objects (drones) or their debris—keep a safe distance and inform emergency services by calling “112”.
Managers of other institutions, including state and municipal institutions, business operators, and other service providers that are not required to ensure continuity of operations, shall assess the information contained in the cell broadcast notification and decide on further actions according to the specific situation, without endangering their own or their employees’ life and health, while also complying with internal regulations and safety requirements.
As long as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine continues, there is a possibility that, as Ukraine defends itself, airspace threats near Latvia’s borders, as well as within the country, may reoccur.