On Tuesday, 17 October, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted regulations* aimed at launching the project of the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior “Implementation of the public warning system ABS+” within the framework of the European Regional Development Fund.
In planning the EU support in the field of climate change adaptation, the need for appropriate information and communication technology (ICT) solutions for disaster management in order to inform the public about an emergency event, disaster or threat of disaster has been identified as the most important issues to be addressed.
In order to identify the most problematic areas to be addressed in the field of ICT in the home affairs sector, the Ministry of the Interior applied for the European Commission’s Structural Reform Support Programme project “Improving the efficiency of home affairs institutions”. This resulted in concrete recommendations, which included the improvement of the National Early Warning System (ABS+ project).
To ensure the implementation of these ICT tools, a study on the implementation of the ABS+ project was carried out in 2020. The study concluded that cellular broadcasting technology is the most suitable solution for implementing a public warning system in Latvia.
The cellular broadcasting solution is planned as a new solution that will allow citizens to be notified of a potential hazard or disaster on their mobile phone if they are in a geographical area where a hazard exists. The main benefit of this system is the ability to quickly notify citizens and tourists in a defined area.
The technical implementation of the cellular broadcasting system is carried out by the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior. Implementation studies have been completed and a common understanding of the system architecture and cooperation procedures has been reached in discussions with Latvian mobile operators.
The public procurement procedure “Establishment and maintenance of the Early Warning System for 4 years” has been launched and the first round of tenderers’ submissions are being evaluated. After the first round, a second procurement round is planned. In the event of a successful procedure, a contract with the contractor is expected to be signed later this year.
The system has high availability requirements. This includes integration with the infrastructure of three mobile operators. The system is expected to be operational in the second half of 2024.
The technical specification for the implementation of the system is based on the experience and best practices of the EU Member States and Norway with the latest and most advanced cellular broadcasting system solutions. The system is designed with an eye to the future, incorporating ready-to-use multi-channel solutions that will allow Latvia to add additional functionality to the system as needed in the future.
The technical advantages of the cellular broadcasting system are the speed of notification, as information can be sent within minutes, the possibility of receiving an alert on the vast majority of mobile phones in the area, and the improved ability to notify persons visiting Latvia as well as persons with hearing impairments. Similarly, in the event that one of the mobile operators’ networks is down, the coverage of the network of the other operators makes it possible to ensure that people are informed.
The cellular broadcasting will complement and be part of the existing alert system.
The total eligible funding available for the project is EUR 3 225 000, of which EUR 2 741 250 – from the European Regional Development Fund and EUR 483 750 – from the State budget.
As part of the first phase of the ABS+ project, the implementation of the measure will also improve the efficiency of the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and reduce the administrative burden on SFRS service delivery by facilitating the exchange of information between SFRS and citizens.
*”Measure 2.1.3.3 “Disaster risk reduction measures” of the Specific Support Objective 2.1.3 of the European Union Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027 “Promoting adaptation to climate change, risk prevention and resilience to disasters”.
Prepared by:
Ministry of the Interior
Communication Department
e-mail: kn@iem.gov.lv