I. Metshin: “They checked our nerves and our services for strength”

(KZN.RU, October 16, Anton Nozdrin). The reaction of enterprises and institutions that faced telephone terrorism in late September and early October, as well as the work of security officials, were analyzed on the Business Monday today. “They checked our nerves and our services for strength”, Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, said during the traditional staff meeting. Valery Samatoshenkov, the deputy head of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RF for Kazan, reported on how security is provided in places of mass gathering in the city, today on the Business Monday.

According to the speaker, in total, more than 89 thousand people were evacuated in Kazan in 3 days (September 16, October 3, October 5) because of calls on the installed explosive devices. More than 200 criminal cases under Article 207 of the Criminal Code of the RF (a knowingly false report on an act of terrorism) were opened.

“A lot of personnel and special equipment was involved in the processing of incoming messages. On September 16, more than 170 MIA employees, 50 Federal National Guard Troops Service employees, 60 EMERCOM employees, 11 ambulance brigades, on October 3, more than 1200 employees were involved, and over 300 employees on October 5”, said the deputy head of the department.

Information about the mining has not been confirmed by any address in Kazan, said Ferdinand Timurkhanov, the head of the Civil Protection Department.

According to him, the information about the evacuation was analyzed, conclusions on the readiness of city organizations to react quickly to signals about the danger were made based on it. “These calls didn’t take us by surprise. We annually work out possible emergency situations. This work is paying off”, said the head of the department. According to him, the children left the school in 3 minutes after receiving a call on mining.

The head of the department noted that all city organizations need to be ready to respond promptly when receiving signals and calls, to evacuate people as soon as possible, to report on calls to the duty services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB.

F. Timurkhanov gave a number of recommendations to heads of educational institutions and economic objects. It is necessary to check the warning systems and evacuation routes on a weekly basis, and evacuation plans should meet the requirements for antiterrorist security and fire safety. Regular evacuation training should also be carried out.

Ilsur Metshin noted that it is important to develop the ability of citizens to behave in an emergency situation so that people can be evacuated quickly and without panic. “There are relevant documents, evacuation rules in every institution. But people are saved not by paper but by practical skills”, marked I. Metshin.

Valery Samatoshenkov noted that the work is being carried out in Kazan to bring the places of mass gathering in the state that meet the requirements of the federal law on counteracting terrorism and the resolution of the Government of Russia. “In the course of the work, commission inspections of the objects were carried out, 1185 safety passports were approved, certificates were made with indications of object deficiencies”, said the deputy head of the department. According to him, such characteristic shortcomings as the lack or an insufficient number of video cameras, the storage period of video information is less than 30 days, the absence of fencing or its inconsistency with safety requirements, the lack of metal detectors, and others were indicated.

He spoke in detail about the problems of security in educational institutions. In a number of schools and kindergartens of the city, the issue of buying and installing inspection equipment has not been resolved, there is no protection or fencing in some institutions. V. Samatoshenkov noted that when evacuating children, responsible persons should review the evacuation scheme and place children due to the existing weather conditions.

He also pointed to the need to provide 28 parks and squares of the city, including four pedestrian zones, with engineering equipment, video surveillance, fencing, and anti-trolling devices. “The installation of video surveillance is underway but the question of installing the fence has been left out. The problem arises especially acute during mass events”, marked Valery Samatoshenkov.

Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, instructed the heads of the structural units to eliminate the faults as soon as possible and take into account the recommendations that were made. The head of the city noted that it is impossible to it all events in one day but this work must be carried out. “All these activities require a lot of money but there is nothing more important than safety, especially the safety of children”, noted I. Metshin.