Invincibility Centre pilot project for capacity development starts at Kopli 93 community
This year, the NGO Crisis Research Centre, in collaboration with the Kopli 93 community, will host the largest community-based civil defence project in Estonia to date, training key community members on critical crisis skills. In addition, a base emergency reserve system that can be deployed in a crisis will be established.
Aside from a lack of permanent funding in the field, one of the most pressing issues for population protection in Estonia is people’s lack of awareness of how to deal with crises, with recent surveys indicating that only 15% of people would be able to cope independently in a crisis. “While some things can only be developed by the state, such as a siren network, shelter requirements, and, finally, adequate funding for civil defence, there are others that everyone can consider for themselves and their community. Raising community crisis preparedness is a positive direction for the state to invest in; it’s always easier to prepare for crises together, and that’s what we’re doing with the upcoming project,” said Hannes Nagel, head of the NGO Crisis Research Centre and Kopli 93 community member.
Kopli 93’s civil defense capacity development project aims to provide key members of the community with basic crisis management knowledge, including how to cope in the event of an armed aggression. “The training will include both mental and physical first aid, cyber safety, and urban survival. However, an important component of the project is community work, in which we will map existing resources and preparedness,” Nagel stated. The project will train community members with the help of recognised experts.
As a result of the project, a roadmap will be developed for the Kopli 93 community as a civil defence concept, outlining the current situation and the need for additional capacity building in the short and medium term. “The latter is necessary so that both the community and the local government are aware as to what else needs to be done at the community level. This project is a community pilot, so it will provide initial feedback and build baseline capacity. Civil defence, like Tallinn, is never finished; there is always room for improvement.
The National Foundation of Civil Society is supporting the project “Empowerment of the Kopli 93 Community Centre as a pilot project of the Invincibility Centre for Civil Defence”. The project team would like to thank the Salme Cultural Centre, the Government of Northern Tallinn, the City of Tallinn, the Tallinn Municipal Police, the Rescue Board, and the Estonian Rescue Workers Union for their assistance and feedback on the project’s design.
Photo: Kopli 93 Community Centre (Kopli 93, 2023).
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