Most of education institutions in disadvantaged regions are located in old buildings (more than twenty years old). Legislation requires fire systems to be installed only if the education institution is being renovated. But municipalities, especially those in disadvantaged regions, lack resources for renovation. As a result, fire safety systems remain uninstalled. In the meantime, statistics report 121 cases of fire in Latvian educational institutions between 2006 and 2010, 19 of which took place in 2010. Most threatened and unsafe are those institutions where children stay overnight. These educational institutions are selected as the priority target group and this project foresees installation of fire safety systems in 138 boarding schools.

The overall objective of the project is to improve the safety of children in case of fire in general education institutions in peripheral and disadvantaged regions of Latvia as well as to widen knowledge about fire safety by utilising and building on Swiss experience.
Specific objectives are to increase public officials and school children awareness and knowledge about danger and fire safety, partly by using Swiss experience.

Direct target group: approximately 7’000 children, 138 boarding schools, 61 municipalities.
Indirect target group: inhabitants - families with children, staff, staff of boarding schools.

Activities shall lead to the fulfilment of the project objectives. They are mainly: (i): Acquisition of fire safety systems for local governments; (ii): Cooperation with Swiss partner on guidelines, training, and prevention measures.
Training and awareness-raising measures for public and for responsible people (head of institutions, security staff) will be covered by the municipalities and by the fire safety system provider.

Erreichte Resultate:  

• Smoke detectors, sound and voice alarm systems are installed in 115 general education institutions
• 57 municipalities have been supported in their effort to improve fire safety situation in their schools and pre-schools
• 14’000 children have safer environment in their education institutions  

Phase 1 01.02.2012 - 31.05.2015   (Completed)