With the first event in Ludza, the training cycle “DrošaLatvija” has been launched, which will strengthen the security of the information space and society’s resilience against information manipulation, including disinformation, in several municipalities throughout Latvia in the coming months. These trainings are organized by the Latvian Transatlantic Organization (LATO) and the State Chancellery.
Employees of the Ludza municipality and local government policemen, national guards, firefighters and rescuers, as well as representatives of the local media shared their experiences and participated in focus groups in Ludza yesterday. Learned and acted out scenarios on how to act in crisis situations in which residents should be promptly informed. LATO General Secretary Sigita Struberga: “Our goal is to identify and learn together crisis communication networks or communication channels that could be used in cases where a crisis occurs.”
According to Sigita Struberga, the word “crisis” does not immediately mean a traditional, conventional invasion. Residents must be prepared for various situations in order to remain calm. “The crises that the society is facing are of a very wide spectrum. We can remember the flood in Jēkabpils and many other crises that also need to be solved and for which it is very important that the citizen receives information quickly, it is true and from sources he trusts.”
These trainings modeled how best to inform the public in the event of a radio or television failure, internet or mobile communications disruption, and misinformation and fake news being spread by forces unfriendly to our country. Security expert Vitalijs Raksiņš tells ReTV that mutual cooperation is important. He emphasizes that not only municipalities and state institutions should cooperate. “We also see with the example of the war in Ukraine that no crisis can be overcome without the non-governmental sector and without the involvement of society. Therefore, it is in everyone’s interest that the public be prepared. And today, too, people’s ideas and interest about 72-hour readiness and what should be done to minimize their vulnerabilities and make them more resilient to that crisis came out.”
During the next two months, these trainings will also take place in other cities of Latgale: Daugavpils, Krāslava, Preili, as well as Jēkabpils, Jelgava, Jūrmala, Liepāja and Riga. Struberga: “If anyone in the regions to which we will go is interested in participating, either non-governmental organizations or media representatives, then we welcome you to participate and will be happy to see you in these games.”
The training organizers also emphasize that there is currently no threat to Latvia as a NATO member state. Security in Latvia is protected by our services and the National Armed Forces, as well as soldiers of allied countries. The organizers of the seminar also invite the public to learn and always be prepared for various crisis situations so that they do not surprise the unprepared.
Tags: Local governments taught communication crisis situations
