In an emergency, it is important to find a safe shelter quickly. Sheltering in place is a temporary form of protection that can help protect you and your loved ones in unexpected situations.
First try to hide in a nearby place of safety - it could be a home, workplace, basement or other indoor space that offers protection. The following are particularly suitable as public shelters windowless underground buildings or other structurally strong spaces. The best places are often basements or lower floors of a building.
Evacuation means moving people to a safe area when it is no longer safe to stay in their current living environment. In the event of danger, always follow the instructions of the authorities and stay indoors until the danger has passed or an evacuation order has been given.
It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with public shelters in your area and know how to use them quickly if necessary. This will help you to act calmly and effectively in a crisis.
Shadowing
Sheltering in place is the rapid movement of people into an indoor space in a threatened area to protect their life and health.Sheltering may be necessary in the event of a military threat, but also in the event of other threats such as extreme weather, a major fire, a chemical attack, mass riots, etc. The instructions also vary from one threat to another, for example, in extreme weather conditions, simply going indoors and closing windows is sufficient. You should therefore always listen to the instructions given by the state and act accordingly.
The following are distinguished as hiding places:
- public places of refuge- they are designed for people in public spaces to quickly take shelter for short periods in the event of immediate danger;
- homepagesi.e. shelters for occupants of a particular building and their relatives, e.g. basements;
- shelters- windowless rooms such as bathrooms.
Basement of a residential buildingis the first place a person in the home can take shelter if necessary. However, it is useful to know that a better shelter is the underground cellar of a prefabricated house made of reinforced concrete. In the case of wooden houses or single-family houses, it is wiser to move to a safe area in case of danger, as these buildings are not suitable for shelter.
Recommendations for adapting the basements of apartment buildings as shelters
Public shelteris intended especially for people on the streets in the event of an emergency. Those who are at work or at home at the moment of danger should stay put and find a windowless room or a cellar to take shelter in.
List and map of public shelters in Estonia (opens in a new tab)
There are 7 public shelters in Valga municipality:
- Buratino Kindergarten, Lai tn 6a, Valga, Valga city
- Hargla School, Hargla village
- Research Hall of the National Archives, Vabaduse 6, Valga, Valga city
- Tsirguliina School, Nooruse tn 1, Tsirguliina village
- Valga Secondary School, J. Kuperjanovi street 10, Valga, Valga
- Valga Priimetsa School, Vabaduse tn 13, Valga city
- Õru kindergarten, Ringtee tn 13, Õru village
The shelters are marked with the international population protection sign (blue triangle on an orange background).
Evacuation
Evacuation is the removal or relocation of people from a dangerous place to a safer place to protect their life and health.
In the event of evacuation, you must follow the instructions of the Rescue Board, which will provide you with information on the location of evacuation points, among other things.
The municipality has complied with the legal requirements and designated evacuation points on its territory. The locations of the evacuation points to be used will depend on the crisis and will be published when the need arises.
