Emergency preparedness in Estonia: the official guidance

Short answer. Estonia's Rescue Board (Päästeamet) asks every household to be able to get by on its own for at least one week, with 3 litres of drinking water per person per day ¹. Warnings arrive by EE-ALARM location-based SMS and outdoor sirens, and a siren has only one meaning: seek shelter immediately ². In an emergency, call 112; for crisis information, call the state helpline 1247 ³.

Who is responsible for civil protection in Estonia?

The Rescue Board (Päästeamet) runs civil protection, sheltering and public warning, and publishes its preparedness advice on the "Ole valmis!" ("Be ready!") site and app ³⁴. The Government Office runs the national crisis portal kriis.ee ⁵. Radiation questions, including iodine tablets, belong to the Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet) ⁶.

In 2024 the Rescue Board mailed an updated printed crisis guide to more than 566,000 Estonian homes, in Estonian, English and Russian, with a digital Ukrainian version; it covers mobile alerts, sirens, sheltering, evacuation and supplies ⁷.

What does each page of this guide cover?

What are the key numbers to remember?

• One week: how long a household should be able to manage alone ¹.
• 3 litres of drinking water per person per day ¹; the kriis.ee one-week list says 21 litres ⁵.
• About 4 minutes: the siren signal, a one-minute rising and falling tone repeated at least three times ².
• 112 for emergencies, 1247 for crisis information ³.
• 0.75 m² of floor per person in a shelter built under Regulation No. 50 ⁸.

What changed in 2026?

Since 1 July 2026, the Emergency Act as amended requires shelters in certain new buildings: a public shelter in buildings of at least 10,000 m² closed net area or visited by crowds ⁹, and a non-public shelter in many buildings of at least 1,200 m² ⁹. Government Regulation No. 50 of 8 May 2026 sets the technical requirements ⁸.

The Emergency Act is reported repealed from 1 October 2026 by the Crisis Situation and National Defence Act; Phaenyx has not read the successor text, so the thresholds and deadlines on the shelter pages must be rechecked in the current law before you rely on them. Cell broadcast alerts are not yet in service and are scheduled by the end of March 2027 ².

Frequently asked questions

How long should an Estonian household be able to manage alone?

At least one week, according to the Rescue Board ¹. See the emergency supplies page and the general guide /guides/72-hour-kit for how the one-week target compares with shorter models.

Where is the nearest public shelter?

On the official Land Board map, also reachable from olevalmis.ee and the "Ole valmis!" app ⁴¹⁰. Most are closed day to day and open only when the military threat increases ⁴.

Do I need iodine tablets in Estonia?

The Environmental Board tells people not to take iodine tablets unless officially instructed ⁶. See the iodine page.

When was this information checked?

Every fact on these pages was checked against the official sources listed below on 2026-10-20.

Sources

1. Päästeamet (Estonian Rescue Board) – Ole valmis! — Emergency supplies — https://www.olevalmis.ee/en/emergency-supplies (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Päästeamet – Ole valmis! — Public warning system known as EE-ALARM — https://www.olevalmis.ee/en/public-warning-system-known-as-ee-alarm (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Päästeamet – Ole valmis! — Helplines — https://www.olevalmis.ee/en/helplines (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Päästeamet – Ole valmis! — Frequently asked questions — https://www.olevalmis.ee/en/frequently-asked-questions (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. Government Office – kriis.ee — How can I prepare for possible crises? — https://www.kriis.ee/en/security-situation-europe/preparing-possible-crises/how-can-i-prepare-possible-crises (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. Keskkonnaamet (Environmental Board) — It is not necessary to take iodine tablets in Estonia due to the events in Ukraine — https://keskkonnaamet.ee/en/news/it-not-necessary-take-iodine-tablets-estonia-due-events-ukraine (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. Päästeamet (Estonian Rescue Board) — Crisis Management Guides Reached Hundreds of Thousands of Estonian Home — https://www.rescue.ee/en/news/crisis-management-guides-reached-hundreds-of-thousands-of-estonian-home-2459 (accessed 2026-10-20)
8. Riigi Teataja — Varjendi rajamise kohustusega hoonete täpsem loetelu, nõuded varjendile ja varjumisplaanile, varjumiskoha kohandamise põhimõtted ning varjumisplaani koostamise kord (Vabariigi Valitsuse 08.05.2026 määrus nr 50) — https://www.riigiteataja.ee/et/akt/113052026004 (accessed 2026-10-20)
9. Riigi Teataja — Hädaolukorra seadus (redaktsioon 01.07.2026–30.09.2026), §§ 16^2–16^4, 22–24 — https://www.riigiteataja.ee/et/akt/130122025020 (accessed 2026-10-20)
10. ERR (Estonian Public Broadcasting) — Päästeamet avaldas avalike varjumiskohtade kaardi — https://www.err.ee/1608862367/paasteamet-avaldas-avalike-varjumiskohtade-kaardi (accessed 2026-10-20)