Kopli commando
Session: 15th Estonian Parliament, 4th sitting, press briefing
Date: 2024-12-18 15:05
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 12
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 14m
AI Summaries: 12/12 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The discussion concerning the Kopli fire brigade focused primarily on the future of the Kopli fire brigade in Tallinn and the related budget line reallocation. The raised question concerned the decision made last autumn to close the Kopli fire brigade and reported that the budget line “Rescue operations on land and inland waters” remained unused this year by almost 3.6 million euros, a certain amount of which could have covered the need to continue the Kopli fire brigade. The discussion touched on the feeling of safety in North Tallinn and the workload of the Lilleküla fire brigade, and the question was raised as to who is responsible for the previous decision and why the selected solutions were given.
The second discussion topic dealt with the creation of municipal crisis organizers. The commission’s examination of the funding transfer drew attention to whether each municipality has sufficient resources to hire a single crisis organizer and whether 500 euros (net amount) is enough to get started. Eventually, the discussion progressed to the point where crisis management should be county-based, where, with the help of one or two people, an attempt will be made to provide support over three years, and that municipalities decide how to organize the involvement of money and labor. The overall theme was to increase capacity in crisis situations and to ensure crisis assistance from the state at a regional level in a way that depends on the specific municipalities and county needs.
Decisions Made 2
The closure of the Kopli unit and ensuring the redistribution of its budget structure remains in effect; the funds were used to increase rescue capabilities and equipment, and decisions will no longer be based on separately reviving the Kopli unit.
To strengthen crisis resilience on a county basis, support for establishing crisis organizers will be allocated to local governments over three years; local governments will decide whether to hire someone part-time, increase municipal resources, or share a position jointly; the aim is to create more functional mechanisms for crisis situations at the county level.
Most Active Speaker
The most active representative in this discussion was the representative fulfilling the position of Minister of the Interior (Lauri Läänemets), whose title alludes to a ministerial role. Position: Minister; political orientation: other (does not focus on a separate left- or right-wing ideology).
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
In the Riigikogu today, the fifth question is presented to the Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets in his duties as prime minister; the questioner is Vadim Belobrovtsev, and the topic is the Kopli Command.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Belobrovtsev criticizes the closure of the Kopli fire station, because the budget was over €3.5 million, and he asks what the real reason was and who should be responsible for the decline in safety for the residents of North Tallinn.
Siseminister Lauri Läänemets
AI Summary
In short: Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets claims that cuts to the emergency services network and to the police are not sensible, and that the government's cuts directed funds toward increasing the Rescue Board's capacity, but the budget is such that money runs out during major natural disasters, and funding must not depend on whether money is currently available.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
“Your time!” is a short rallying cry that says that now is your turn to act.
Siseminister Lauri Läänemets
AI Summary
This money will probably be spent.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman thanked Vadim Belobrovtsev and invited him to pose a clarifying question.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Belobrovtsev notes that a tradition has emerged of blaming predecessors, but the budget decision lies in the hands of the Minister of the Interior, and funds allocated from the reserve could have helped mitigate the fires, and he asks how the minister will remedy this fault.
Siseminister Lauri Läänemets
AI Summary
In his briefing, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets said that one-off funding was directed to the purchase of firefighters' equipment and to ensure the safety of Kopli residents, but ongoing payroll costs and the uncertainty of using government reserves make future funding unpredictable.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked and asked Vladimir Arhipov for an additional question.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov raised the question of funding for local government crisis managers and asked whether the net amount of about 500 euros allocated to each municipality is sufficient, and whether the sum could be larger and cover a full-time crisis manager position for the coming years.
Siseminister Lauri Läänemets
AI Summary
Läänemets said that to strengthen crisis preparedness, funds will be allocated for three years per municipality for crisis management, and the municipalities will decide themselves how to use this money — whether they hire a crisis manager on a part-time basis, supplement it with their own funds, or hire it jointly — with the aim of strengthening county-level crisis preparedness, where there is room for development in smaller municipalities, and Tallinn and Tartu are in a better position.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speech expresses great gratitude and closes today's discussion of the fifth question.