Ogre municipality to set up round-the-clock crisis information centre after storm
Following the damage caused by an August storm, Ogre municipality is beginning to establish a 24/7 operational information centre to ensure continuous information flow during future crises. A temporary solution will be introduced immediately.
The storm that hit Latvia on 22–23 August caused widespread power, communications, water supply and traffic disruptions in Ogre municipality, exposing gaps in the municipality's crisis response capacity. For an extended period, no accurate forecasts were available on when electricity or mobile communications would be restored, leading officials to conclude that a centralised information system was needed.
As a result, Ogre municipality has begun setting up a Municipal Operational Information Centre (POIC). The centre will operate around the clock, gather information from across the entire municipal territory, coordinate civil protection measures and oversee critical infrastructure.
Different role from the Civil Protection Commission
The municipality stresses that the new centre will not replace the Civil Protection Commission, which brings together representatives of various services but only convenes when needed and does not operate continuously. The Operational Information Centre, by contrast, will be a permanent tool monitoring the situation around the clock without pulling service staff away from their direct duties.
Council chairman Andris Krauja said the storm demonstrated the need for a system that provides a single, constant overview of the situation across the municipality — where power, water or communications are missing and where help is most needed.
Temporary measures to start immediately
Since fully establishing the centre will take time, the municipality has decided to implement a temporary information-coordination procedure right away, using existing administrative and municipal police resources. Over the coming months, a regulatory document, an equipment plan and financial calculations for the centre will be prepared, with the necessary funding planned for the 2027 municipal budget.
