Riga's Two-Wall Rule: Where to Run When You See a Drone

Due to the party affiliation of the head of the local government body and the general language policy, important rules are only available in Latvian. We present their summary to readers.

Where to Hide

First of all, residents are reminded of the "Two-Wall Principle" – a safety rule stating that during shelling or explosions, one should take cover in a place where there are at least two solid walls between you and the street (or the part of the building that is collapsing).

If such a place is not available, you should choose a room with the least glass coverage and potentially falling objects.

If there is still no choice, crouch down below the windowsill to avoid being injured by flying glass and frames.

In multi-story buildings, it is necessary to use the corridors of the lower floors and basement areas. Stairwells are also considered quite reliable – but not inter-floor staircases with windows.

During bombings and air raids, do not use elevators, balconies, or approach windows.

Radio, Cash, Documents

The "emergency bag" should contain: regularly used medications; a bottle of water; identification documents; a bank card and cash; a small supply of non-perishable food; a flashlight; a portable radio; for families with children – essential items for the baby (food, bottle, diapers).

If the children are already grown, parents must explain to them the principles of taking cover in the house, in transport, and in public places; agree on communication methods in case of an emergency.

What about school? On May 21, new rules of action in case of an air threat were approved, mandatory for all institutions of the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports of the Riga City Council. In situation A – if the alarm notice is received before 6:00 AM, classes are canceled for that day; in situation B – if the siren sounds later, children remain in school or kindergarten until the raid is over. Remote organization of the educational process is also possible.

"If your child is in an educational institution, contact the teacher/educator about further actions! During a threat, children remain in the educational institution under the supervision of staff until the situation stabilizes," the Riga City Council urges.

Here, your author would allow themselves to disagree with the recommendations of local government colleagues – let’s imagine a teacher already under immense stress who needs to evacuate children. And she also has to answer 20-30 calls, texts, or messages in the class chat? True, a special communication channel has been created on educational platforms – Signal. So look for information there.

Go Where You Are Sent

The main precautionary measure the Riga City Council Committee considers is to "be responsible and follow the instructions of the responsible services regarding further actions."

And more recommendations: "Go to the nearest safe shelter if the early warning system indicates that you need to go there." "Be vigilant and remain calm! Follow trusted sources until you receive a message about the end of the threat."

Well, again – no one can divert the population from Facebook or Telegram, with their inherent information noise, even in a fighting Independent. So it is certainly possible to imagine a law-abiding citizen with a receiver tuned to the LR1 wave – but only for calming purposes for the authorities...

Alarm Caught You on the Road

When moving in personal transport at the moment the alarm sounds, the driver is offered quite a degree of freedom:

• "Assess the situation: continue moving to a safe shelter or exit immediately.

• Immediately lie face down, cover your head with your hands, keep your mouth slightly open to reduce the pressure of the shock wave.

• If it is impossible to exit due to shelling, crouch down as low as possible on the floor of the vehicle and cover your head with your hands.

• Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.

• If you are on public transport, follow the driver's instructions.

• Keep in mind that being under a vehicle is extremely dangerous!"

"If You Hear an Explosion and See a Drone"

In these circumstances, when in an open area, you should immediately lie face down, covering your head with your hands. At the same time, distance yourself from other people and do not stay in a crowd. Possible places of shelter can be: a ditch, a pit, a basement, an underground pedestrian crossing, or the nearest concrete or brick structure.

If a person is trapped under rubble – the main thing is to signal your presence and wait for rescuers. "Knock on pipes or concrete, shout, whistle, blink a flashlight. If mobile communication works, call 112 or inform relatives of your location. If you hear that there is a person under the rubble, call 112 immediately!"

Those trapped under debris are warned: do not act abruptly; free your hands or feet only if it can be done safely; if not, "gently massage the area above the trapped body part." It is dangerous to try to clear the rubble from the inside by moving damaged structures. Do not use matches or lighters – there may be a gas leak. If possible, cover yourself with clothing or fabric to retain heat.

The Best of the Best Will Take Shelter

Some surprise also arises from the plans of the Riga authorities: "In city-owned buildings, it is planned to create 146 shelters that can accommodate more than 50,000 residents. It is expected that the first equipped bomb shelters will be available by the end of summer. By the end of the year, 40% of the projects will be implemented, and the construction of the rest is planned for next year. Additionally, the local government offers co-financing for the creation of shelters in residential buildings."

Stop, wait a second – but the current deputy of the Riga City Council, Linda Ozola ("New Unity"), when she was vice-mayor, promised completely different figures back in the fall of 2023 – 355 shelters for 200,000 residents. Logically, over three years, this number should have increased – but in reality, we see only a decrease, and by a factor of four.

Of course, Riga, with its capital status, also has a large number of state bunkers and shelters of various law enforcement agencies. However, considering the pendulum migration, more than 600,000 people are constantly in the city – and if we assume external aggression, internal refugees will also be added to them. One way or another, there are clearly not enough bomb shelters for everyone...