In a critical situation, a person's greatest enemies are panic and a lack of information. Lithuania's civil defense system is built on the 72-hour principle (72 valandos): every resident should be capable of independently providing for themselves and their family for the first three days, while state services organize large-scale assistance and disaster relief.
Preparing in advance is not a sign of panic, but an act of responsibility for yourself and your loved ones.
Potential Emergency Situations
In the event of military action or major military incidents, the following may occur:
- Aerial and missile strikes, drone attacks;
- Artillery shelling;
- Rolling or prolonged power, water, gas, and communications outages;
- Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure;
- The need for emergency evacuation or temporary shelter.
Why Advance Preparation Matters
During the initial minutes and hours of an emergency, stores, pharmacies, and ATMs may cease operating due to overcrowding or power failures. Roads may become blocked, and emergency services will prioritize responding to major incidents. Your level of preparedness directly impacts your family's safety during this critical window.
Immediate Steps Upon Receiving an Alert
- Do not panic. Take a deep breath and execute your pre-planned strategy.
- Assess the situation. If an air raid siren sounds, seek shelter immediately.
- Grab your prepared "72-hour emergency kit" and essential documents.
- Tune in to national radio or TV (LRT) for official instructions.
2. Finding Shelter in Lithuania
Lithuania's defense infrastructure categorizes protective facilities into distinct types. Understanding the difference is vital.
Priedanga vs. Kolektyvinės Apsaugos Statiniai (KAS)
- Priedanga (Short-Term Shelter): Designed for short-term protection (from a few hours up to a day) against indirect hazards: shrapnel, blast waves, falling structural debris, and secondary damage. Examples include pedestrian subways, basements, semi-basements, and underground parking facilities.
- Kolektyvinės Apsaugos Statiniai / KAS (Collective Protection Structures): Intended for the temporary housing of evacuated populations. These include schools, sports arenas, and community centers. Food, medical assistance, and supplies are organized here, but they are not reinforced bunkers designed to withstand direct bomb or missile strikes.
Locating the Nearest Shelter
- Officially designated shelters and KAS facilities are marked with standardized signs:
- Priedanga: A blue triangle inside an orange square (or a text sign reading
Priedanga).
- KAS: A blue equilateral triangle on an orange background.
- An interactive map of shelters is available on the official portal lt72.lt and on your local municipal website (savivaldybė).
Selecting 2–3 Safe Locations in Advance
- Near Home: Identify your building's basement, an underground parking lot, or the nearest pedestrian subway.
- Near Work/School: Study the building's floor plan to locate windowless interior rooms on lower floors.
- En Route: Look for
Priedanga signs along your daily commute routes.
What to Do If a Shelter Is Unreachable
If an alert sounds while you are at home and an underground shelter cannot be reached within 2–3 minutes:
- Move to a lower floor (avoid top floors and attics).
- Apply the "Two-Wall Rule": ensure there are at least two solid walls between you and the outdoors (e.g., a bathroom, interior hallway, or pantry).
- Stay clear of windows, glass doors, and exterior walls.
3. What to Do During an Air Raid Alert
Recognizing Official Signals
- Acoustic Sirens: A wailing 3-minute continuous tone (the Oro pavojus signal).
- LT-Alert: Cell broadcast emergency notifications sent to mobile phones, accompanied by a loud audio prompt (even if the phone is set to silent).
- Radio and TV: Broadcast interruptions on LRT channels delivering emergency management instructions.
Action Steps
- Shut off gas, water, unplug electrical appliances, and extinguish any open flames (if at home).
- Grab your emergency kit and dress appropriately for the weather.
- Move to the nearest shelter or safe internal room.
- Tune in to LRT on a battery-powered radio (or mobile device if connectivity permits) and await official guidance.
Position Within a Building
- Avoid areas with extensive glass surfaces (balconies, rooms with large exterior windows).
- Optimal locations: interior hallways, bathrooms, or structural stairwells (in reinforced concrete or brick buildings).
- Lie flat on the floor against a load-bearing wall, covering your head with your arms.
What to Do Outdoors, in Vehicles, or on Public Transit
- Outdoors: Immediately drop to the ground in a depression (ditch, curb, or hollow), cover your head with your hands, and keep your mouth slightly open (to help prevent eardrum damage from blast pressure).
- In a Vehicle/Bus: Pull over safely to the shoulder immediately (without blocking routes for emergency vehicles), exit the vehicle, and seek refuge in the nearest building, basement, or terrain depression. Vehicles provide no protection against shrapnel and catch fire easily.
Leaving the Shelter
Remain in the shelter until the official all-clear signal (Pavojaus pabaiga) is broadcast via radio, TV, or LT-Alert, or if structural damage poses an imminent risk of collapse or fire.
4. What to Do During and After an Explosion
Protection Against Shrapnel and Blast Waves
- If an explosion occurs nearby, lie flat on your stomach immediately, rest your face on your elbows, cover your head with your hands, and keep your mouth slightly open.
- Do not stand up immediately after the first detonation: secondary strikes or falling debris often follow.
Navigating Damaged Buildings
- Assess structural integrity before moving.
- Watch out for exposed wiring, gas leaks, and ruptured water pipes.
- Evacuate carefully; do not use elevators.
Fires, Smoke, and Debris Hazards
- In Smoke: Breathe through a wet cloth and stay low to the floor where air is cleaner.
- If Trapped Under Debris: Stay calm and conserve oxygen. Signal periodically by tapping on metal pipes or radiators to alert rescue crews. Call or text 112 if cellular service is available.
Hazards Around Blast Sites
- High risk of unexploded ordnance (UXO) secondary detonations.
- Potential exposure to invisible toxic fumes or hazardous substances.
- Never touch or approach unidentified objects, drone fragments, missile debris, or munitions.
Contacting Emergency Services
Call 112 if there are injuries, structural collapses, active fires, or immediate threats to life—provided you are in a safe position to make the call.
5. The 72-Hour Emergency Kit (Pavojaus Krepšys)
Each family member should have an individually fitted, 30–50 liter backpack that is easy to carry.
Kit Essentials:
- Water and Food:
- At least 3 liters of drinking water per person (in durable, non-glass containers).
- High-calorie, shelf-stable foods: canned meats/fish, energy bars, nuts, dried fruits, crackers, dehydrated meals.
- Manual can opener, compact metal mug/bowl.
- First Aid and Medications:
- Essential prescription drugs (at least a 1–2 week supply).
- Painkillers, fever reducers, antidiarrheals, adsorbents, antihistamines.
- Hemostatic tourniquet, sterile bandages, gauze pads, adhesive plasters, antiseptic solution, trauma shears.
- Documents and Cash:
- Passports/ID cards, birth certificates, property records, essential medical histories (sealed in a waterproof bag).
- Digital copies stored on an encrypted USB drive.
- Cash in small denominations (Euros).
- Communication and Lighting:
- Headlamp or flashlight with extra batteries.
- High-capacity power bank (10,000–20,000 mAh).
- Portable battery-powered FM/AM radio receiver.
- Spare basic feature phone.
- Clothing and Personal Care:
- Durable, weather-appropriate clothing (thermal base layers, windproof/waterproof jacket).
- Change of underwear and socks (2–3 pairs).
- Rain poncho and emergency thermal space blanket.
- Wet wipes, dry tissues, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, basic personal hygiene items.
- Special Needs:
- Infants: Baby food, diapers, wet wipes, small comfort toy.
- Seniors: Spare eyeglasses, blood pressure monitor, specialized prescription medicine.
- Pets: Dry pet food, water supply, leash, muzzle, carrier, veterinary passport.
6. Household Emergency Supplies
If sheltering at home, maintain supplies for at least 3–7 days.
- Drinking Water: 3 liters per person per day for drinking and cooking + 2 liters per person per day for basic sanitation.
- Food Reserves: Grains, pasta, canned goods, instant soups, cooking oil, salt, sugar, tea/coffee.
- Alternative Power and Lighting:
- Portable camping gas stove and fuel canisters for heating food.
- Candles, battery-operated LED lanterns, camping lights.
- Waterproof matches or lighters.
- Sanitation Needs: Heavy-duty trash bags, wet wipes, hand sanitizers, portable camping toilet or bucket with a lid and absorbent lining.
7. Communications and Information
Official Information Channels in Lithuania
- LRT (Lietuvos nacionalinis radijas ir televizija): Primary emergency broadcaster. Keep FM receivers tuned to LRT Radijas.
- lt72.lt: Lithuania's official civil safety information portal.
- Official Authorities:
- Fire and Rescue Department (PAGD / Priešgaisrinės apsaugos ir gelbėjimo departamentas).
- Ministry of National Defence (Krašto apsaugos ministerija).
- Lithuanian Police and Government channels.
Mobile Phone Configuration
Ensure Emergency Alerts (Cell Broadcast / Perspėjimo pranešimai) are activated on your smartphone.
- Settings → Emergency Alerts → Enable all broadcast options.
Information Security
- Do not film, photograph, or share movements of military hardware, impact sites, or air defense operations.
- Avoid unverified social media rumors. Rely strictly on official LRT broadcasts and verified government portals.
In Case of Communication Blackouts
- Monitor LRT Radijas via a portable battery-operated radio receiver.
- Establish a pre-designated family meeting point in case all mobile networks fail.
8. Evacuation Procedures
When to Evacuate
Evacuate only upon direct instructions from authorities or if your current location faces immediate life-threatening danger (active fire, structural collapse, or chemical/radiological hazards).
Route Planning
- Familiarize yourself with main egress routes out of your city.
- Carry physical paper maps of Lithuania and your region (GPS signals may be jammed or offline).
- Identify secondary back roads in case main highways become congested.
Vehicle Preparation
- Keep your fuel tank at least half full at all times.
- Vehicle emergency kit: tow strap, warning triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, tire inflator/compressor, spare tire, small shovel.
9. Actionable Checklist
Complete Today:
- [ ] Verify emergency notification settings on all mobile phones.
- [ ] Download offline maps of your city and surrounding region.
- [ ] Locate the nearest buildings marked with
Priedanga signs near home and work.
- [ ] Establish a family emergency response plan and meeting location.
Prepare Within a Week:
- [ ] Assemble individual 72-hour emergency kits for every family member.
- [ ] Backup critical documents digitally onto a USB drive / secure cloud storage.
- [ ] Stock home reserves of water and shelf-stable food for 3–7 days.
- [ ] Acquire a battery-powered portable radio and external power banks.
Review Every 6 Months:
- [ ] Inspect expiration dates on food, water, and first aid supplies.
- [ ] Rotate stored water supplies.
- [ ] Test and recharge all power banks and portable batteries.
- [ ] Update seasonal clothing packed in emergency kits.
Official Lithuanian Emergency Resources:
- lt72.lt — Official Civil Protection & Emergency Preparedness Portal.
- vpgt.lt — Fire and Rescue Department (PAGD).
- lrt.lt — National Public Broadcaster (News & Live Radio).
- 112 — Unified Emergency Calls Service.
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