By mid-August, almost 2,000 cellars and basements had been inspected. It was found that 259, or 13.5%, of the facilities were fully compliant, and 818, or 42.8%, were partially compliant. Work has also now started on the first shelter signs to be placed on buildings that are partially or fully compliant with the shelter requirements.
These facilities can accommodate 373,000 people. So far, less than half of the basements planned for inspection have been surveyed.
"I would like to stress that the shelters will most often not be open to the public on a daily basis. It is the responsibility of the owner of the shelter to make it open to the public only in times of danger," says Ivars Nakurts, Deputy Chief of the VUGD.
A procurement procedure is underway to provide appropriate signage for the shelter buildings and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. A small number of signs, which were purchased in early summer, have already been handed over to the municipalities with an invitation to place them on partially or fully shelter-compliant buildings soon.
