Lithuania to build a new public alert system for emergencies and security threats

Lithuania's Fire and Rescue Department has announced a tender for the creation, rollout and maintenance of a new multichannel system for warning and informing the public. The news was reported by the Ukrainian outlet Evropeiska Pravda, citing the Lithuanian portal Delfi. The system is meant to ensure that information reaches residents in good time during any emergency.

The project is worth €5.5 million and is funded by European Union money. Once it is complete, Lithuania will have a single management platform for the coordinated activation of various public warning tools. The new system is planned to start operating in 2028.

Faster warnings

The multichannel platform will allow all the main warning tools to be managed in a coordinated way from one system. After rollout, warning messages can be activated considerably faster, with one or several information channels switched on in a single action. Centralised management should shorten warning times, keep information consistent and make it easier to monitor and control the warning process.

During implementation, particular attention will go to cybersecurity, reliability and uninterrupted operation. Solutions will also be introduced to protect against cyber threats and unauthorised access, and to ensure actions in the system are controlled and traceable.

The minister's comments

Lithuanian Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas said that, given the changing security situation in the region, the state wants to substantially increase its resilience and provide the greatest possible safety for residents. He noted that rapid progress in communications and telecommunications technology encourages the use of modern, reliable solutions for public warnings. In his words, timely delivery of information to residents is one of the most important elements of civil defence.

Earlier steps

In September, Lithuania tested its public warning system by sounding sirens. Meanwhile, Finland has since the start of November operated FI-Alert, a system that sends danger alerts to the phones of all mobile operators in a given area.