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Behind the scenes from the Baltic Leadership Programme, Martins Baltmanis, State Fire & Rescue Service, Latvia

“We need to raise awareness in the community”

international cooperation

“In my role I am responsible for all phases in disaster management, prevention, preparedness and recovery, so the exchange with other countries helps me: if something works in a neighbor country, we do not have to reinvent the wheel. You can get inspiration from other knowledge or structures.”


main challenges?

“From my experience, every accident starts on the human level, small mistakes or people not realising that they as individuals can change something. But usually disasters start from small accidents, which cause a chain of developments for a disaster. So we need to raise awareness in the community, how they can help to prevent accidents.”


 

about the programme?

“It is good to see people again I have worked with on the 14.3 project and in bilateral collaboration, especially with Estonia and Lithuania, but also to meet new people. If we have a common approach to solve the issue of community awareness in the region, it would be very good.”