Dr Mariia Tyschenko (Ukraine), head of Poruch, one of Ukraine’s largest NGOs, gave a presentation on cooperation between the third sector and local government in Ukraine at the final seminar of the Crisis Research Centre’s K-24 project “Crisis Preparedness of Communities – Where do we stand?” on May 28.

Anne-May Nagel, co-founder of the Crisis Research Centre, will introduce the presentation with an overview of the organization’s 2024 Tallinn and Kohtla-Järve community-based population protection projects. The video is in English.

🟧🟦 The panel discussion and its recording were supported by the Estonian Ministry of the Interior through the National Foundation for Civil Society.

Photo and video: the panel discussion on May 28 (Crisis Research Centre, 2025).

The supplies include a selection of essential items that can help local community members manage independently during certain types of crises for a limited period of time.

The selection of supplies was based on potential crisis scenarios that may occur in an urban environment and focused on items that would be most helpful if basic services—such as water, electricity, or food supply—were temporarily disrupted. The list was coordinated with the Estonian Rescue Board and the Tallinn Municipal Police Department.These community supplies are not intended to support the entire district of 27 000 people over an extended period, but rather to assist those who may be among the first in need or who require help before official support channels become available.

The handover of the emergency supplies is part of a broader collaboration aimed at improving local and community-level preparedness for crises. A coordinated approach enables faster and more effective response when a crisis arises. The creation of the community emergency stockpile was supported by the Väike-Õismäe Community Civil Protection Project, funded by the National Foundation of Civil Society with the support of the Ministry of the Interior.

🟧🟦 The activities of the K-24 project will be carried out by the Crisis Research Centre, and the implementation of the project activities is supported by the Civil Society Foundation through the Ministry of the Interior.

Photo: Haabersti district government announcement amplified in local newspaper (Crisis Research Centre, 2025).

The training brought together participants of different ages who wanted to develop their skills for unexpected situations—such as power outages, water shortages, or the need to evacuate their homes quickly. The urban environment poses specific challenges during crises, and participants had the chance to become familiar with them through hands-on experience.

Practical activities: fire, food, and the emergency bag

Participants learned how to start a fire using a firestarter—an entirely new experience for many. The exercises showed that seemingly simple tasks, like lighting a fire without matches or a lighter, actually require time and skill.

They also prepared food outdoors using emergency dry food packs, which can be essential in situations where regular cooking is not possible. Participants were introduced to how these packs work, how to evaluate their shelf life and nutritional value, and what kind of supplies are needed for longer-term self-reliance.

The third key topic was the content of an emergency evacuation bag. The group discussed which items are essential—ranging from first aid supplies and documents to personal medications, hygiene products, and food. Special attention was given to how to adapt the bag according to family composition and individual needs.

Instructors provided practical knowledge and confidence

The training was led by a representative of the Women’s Voluntary Defence Organization (Naiskodukaitse) and Hannes Nagel from the Crisis Research Centre, experienced in both emergency preparedness education and teaching practical survival skills. Participants received both a theoretical overview and the chance to try out actions that could be critical in a real crisis.

The focus was on practical learning—participants gained knowledge through doing and experiencing, which they can also apply in preparing at home. Many noted that hands-on practice gave them more confidence than just listening to information.

Survival training as part of a broader community project

This training was the final event in the Väike-Õismäe survival training series, organized by the Crisis Research Centre in cooperation with Naiskodukaitse. The project aimed to increase the local community’s awareness and preparedness for crises, offering participants practical instruction while also strengthening mutual trust and cooperation.

According to the organizers, the project showed that city residents are increasingly interested in acquiring the skills needed for self-reliance. Enhancing community resilience through awareness and skill-building is an important step toward a safer and more functional society.

🟧🟦 The activities of the K-24 project will be carried out by the Crisis Research Centre, and the implementation of the project activities is supported by the Civil Society Foundation through the Ministry of the Interior.

Photo: fifth group’s urban survival training in Väike-Õismäe (Crisis research Centre, 2025).

Saturday’s training sessions include first aid (trained by paramedic Andrus Lehtmets) and urban survival (trained by Women’s Voluntary Defence Organisation instructors), which will take place in Väike-Õismäe. In addition, there will also be online training – instructors from the Municipal Police Authority will teach you how to draw up a crisis plan, and the Women’s Voluntary Defence Organisation online training will share smart evacuation knowledge.

“For the first time, Haabersti residents will be able to improve their crisis skills in their own town, with training provided by top specialists in the field. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity, as participation is free,” said Hannes Nagel, Head of the Crisis Research Centre. “Our goal is to improve district residents’ preparedness for crisis situations. “If everyone has a broader range of knowledge and skills, we will be better able to deal with unexpected situations and support our families, friends, and the larger community,” he said.

Between February and May, 25 training sessions on various topics will be held, providing crisis skills to over 400 Haabersti residents. There are still spots available; to register for the training or join the waiting list, go to www.kruk.ee/en/oismae-en. 

🟧🟦 The activities of the K-24 project will be carried out by the Crisis Research Centre, and the implementation of the project activities is supported by the Civil Society Foundation through the Ministry of the Interior.

Photo: The Crisis Skills Training Programme is advertised on monthly bases in the Haabersti district newspaper (Kriisiuuringute Keskus, 2025).

Among other topics, the Crisis Research Centre presented the crisis skills training programme of 2024. This was a project supported by the National Foundation of Civil Society and aimed at increasing awareness and preparedness of the local community for different crisis situations. The focus of the project was on community-based learning and practical skills to cope with unexpected events.

The training programme focused on three areas: first aid, mental health first aid and survival skills development. Participants learnt how to provide assistance in case of physical trauma, how to provide mental health first aid and how to purify water, prepare food and keep warm in the case of disruption to essential services. There was also a strong emphasis on strengthening the ties between members of the community, as this plays an important role in building community resilience.

Andre Pichen, a master of the makerspace, shared his experience in setting up and running the makerspace. The makerspace is a place where residents can get hands-on and learn practical skills, from simple repairs to more complex projects. But the workshop is not just a technical space; it is also a meeting ground, with the potential to build a sense of community.

The visit gave students the opportunity to understand how grassroots initiatives can provide effective solutions to societal challenges. Community hubs like Kopli 93 are platforms where local initiative, social innovation and practical skills meet – also for developing crisis skills.

Photo: Tallinn University students visit Kopli 93 community centre (School of Governance, Law and Society, 2025).

On a sunny Saturday, March 15, nearly 50 Kohtla-Järve community members gathered at the Wiru Sports Centre for a training session. They all shared a common goal: to improve their crisis skills, which could be accomplished in two ways: mental health first aid crisis training and first aid training. The goal of the crisis-focused Mental Health First Aid training was to give the community a chance to learn basic psychological first aid techniques and principles for crisis situations.

Practical exercises were also used to improve listening, noticing, and helping skills. The training focused on psychological support for self and community members to maintain their ability to think and act rationally during a crisis. Furthermore, the training emphasised that providing mental first aid in a difficult situation reduces the need for professional help later on. The Mental Health First Aid training, led by clinical psychologist Kadi Parve (NGO Peaasjad), will continue as an online training, with participants gathering for another day of learning.

During the first aid training, members of the Kohtla-Järve community learnt how to administer first aid using practical tools, and common first aid myths were debunked. Participants were able to practise CPR on a resuscitation manikin (some for the first time), and the proper use of an AED resuscitator was discussed together. Andrus Lehtmets, a paramedic and first aid trainer with extensive practical experience, provided participants with examples of both good and bad first aid.

The Crisis Research Center has been preparing Kohtla-Järve’s first civil protection project since May 2024.

“We would like to thank all our partners who have helped make this project possible. Special thanks go to the Kohtla-Järve City Government, the Rescue Board, the National Foundation of Civil Society, and the Estonian Ministry of the Interior. However, the most important contributors are, of course, the community members themselves—without them, this initiative would not be possible,” said project manager Anne-May Nagel.

The goal of the Crisis Research Center’s civil protection and crisis skills training program is to provide essential knowledge and skills to help people cope in crisis situations. The opening seminar provided an overview of the upcoming program and how to register for the training sessions.

“This is the first civil protection project in both Kohtla-Järve and Ida-Viru County, focusing on empowering the community through various training sessions conducted in collaboration with experienced professionals. By April, we will have trained over fifty apartment association members and residents on how to handle different types of crises. Additionally, we will have established basic emergency supplies for the community and local government, which can be used in various crises and for setting up resilience centers,” added Hannes Nagel, head of the Crisis Research Center.

In Ukraine, points of invincibility have been established as locations where citizens can obtain emergency aid in the event of a failure of critical utilities such as electricity, water, or heating. They are areas where people can recharge their phones, remain warm, and get important government information about what is going on. “The points of invincibility are also highlighted by Ukraine itself as an important element in the continuation of social resistance and resilience in a war that has lasted nearly three years,” said Hannes Nagel, Head of the NGO Crisis Research Centre. “Estonia and Sweden have begun to establish a network of such points of invincibility in order to improve civilian crisis preparedness. At the same time, there is a critical need for cross-border sharing of best practices in the field, as well as the preservation of the fundamental concepts of common points of invincibility.”

The PIMA project’s goal is to bring together specialists in charge of local level points of invincibility in Estonia, Sweden, and Ukraine in order to begin developing a network to achieve the above mentioned objectives. The Ukrainian partner NGO Poruch, which has been operating in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, plays a vital role in the project, both in community centers and among the civilian population as a whole. “In the project, we are developing a concept for points of invincibility that will assist local planners and policymakers in building on worldwide best practices when establishing centres. To gain insight into this, the project will also include research, in which we will map the current state of play at the local level using case studies from three countries, highlighting both successful solutions and areas of concern,” said Mariia Tyshchenko, Director of NGO Poruch.

“One of the project’s most significant outcomes is a concept paper on points of invincibility. This concept will serve as a policy brief, but more importantly, as a tool for municipalities to better understand both starting, equipping, and operating the points, based on best practices for engaging local communities and dealing with various aspects of vulnerability, such as people with special needs, children, or the elderly,” said Tom Nilsson, Associate Professor at the Department of Global Political Studies at Malmö university.

Malmö University will be the lead partner in the PIMA project, which will carry out majority of activities during the spring and summer of 2025. The project is funded by the Swedish Institute.