On guard of lives: how investment from EU helps rescuers in Odesa Oblast become more efficient

Over the 5 years of its operation, the Citizen Safety Center in Avangard has become a reliable support for more than 36,000 residents of the Avangard community and parts of two neighbouring communities: Odesa and Tairovska. Since its foundation, the staff has managed to extinguish more than 500 fires and save dozens of lives. In addition to responding to emergencies and rescuing people, animals and property, the Center’s staff are also actively involved in key social initiatives, including supporting internally displaced persons and delivering humanitarian aid.

New building – new opportunities

The village council made a strategic decision to expand the Citizen Safety Center’s role in public safety: a second building will be constructed to help deliver region’s safety.

"I knew that this project had to be implemented, but I did not believe that it would happen before the end of the full-scale war".

"It seems as if only yesterday we have submitted it and now the construction will be completed very soon. We owe this to the EU’s financial assistance and the initiative of our village council, which was the first to support us in creating this Citizen Safety Center in our community," says Yurii Halchynskyi, acting head of the Citizen Safety Center.

The ground floor will store equipment and supplies which currently stored outside due to a lack of space. On the second floor, a training room and gym will be set up, where rescuers will be able to practice critical skills and improve their physical fitness. The basement of the building will be used as a shelter, where both the Center’s staff and the villagers will be able to hide during shelling and safely wait out the air raid.

"The new building of the Citizen Safety Center will significantly increase our efficiency. Every emergency situation is different, and even every fire develops differently. We will use it to improve our skills reacting faster and acting more coherently, which will definitely help us to save more lives," says Kostyantyn Cheshev, Chief of Guard.

People who save lives

Kostyantyn has years of experience in the rescue service. He started his career as a firefighter at the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, later became a dispatcher and a department commander and then a chief of guard at the Citizen Safety Center.

18 years ago, he arrived as an observer at a complex fire where, unfortunately, people died. Kostyantyn was initially worried, but then he realised the importance of this profession and decided to dedicate his life to saving lives of others. He admits that his motivation comes from the gratitude of the people he has helped.

There is no trace of the worries like yourfirst fire – Kostyantyn and his team work like a well-oiled machine. From rescuing people to eliminating the emergency and dealing with the consequences, everything is planned to the smallest of details, and everyone knows what to do.

There’s no room for mistakes when it comes to a risk-to-life job. So, after each emegency, the team members gather and analyse in detail every step they took. An important part of these discussions is a frank conversation about each rescuer’s emotional state, as the support of colleagues and reminders of the lives saved help to cope with internal stress.

Russia’s full-scale war of aggression has affected the scope and complexity of the work, and the need for more people and equipment is more prevalent than ever. However, what remains unchanged is that the Center continues to operate, and the rescue team is always ready to respond to a call.

"Teamwork is crucial in our line of business. All our guys are motivated, and each is ready to lend a helping-hand to the other".

There is no room for procrastination, doubt, or fear because we all know perfectly well that people rely on us and are waiting for us. We are ready to jump into action anytime," says Kostyantyn Cheshev.

The Citizen Security Center is actively supporting internally displaced persons, of whom over 5 thousand live in Avangard community as of November 2024. In 2023 alone, its employees delivered about 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid. The Center’s rescuers also equipped five mobile houses for temporary accommodation of internally displaced persons. Each of them is designed to home 25 people. After undergoing special training, they not only ensured the construction of the houses but also maintain order and security for their residents.

The Center’s team also demonstrated a readiness to help and respond quickly to challenges on 6 June 2023, after the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station was blown up by Russia. Then, residents and businesses of the community united to help the people affected. Humanitarian aid was promptly collected, and rescuers from the Citizen Safety Center, together with the village council employees, went to help the locals overcome the impact of the flooding. Kostyantyn, who also joined them, recalls that the number of people willing to go and help from the Center exceeded the number of people they could take.

Guarding the safety of the community

The Citizen Safety Center is also committed to educational activities. The rescuers conduct lessons and tours for children from local schools and kindergartens, as well as advise teachers on creating and equipping specialised safety classes.

"In these difficult times, we are keen to teach as many people as possible – adults and children – how to act in an emergency. But we also need to constantly develop. Thanks to the European Investment Bank, we will have our training ground, which is crucial to develop our skills. People trust us, so it’s important for us to improve constantly," says Kostyantyn.

The gym in the new building will help rescuers maintain physical fitness, which is key for their daily work, but also an opportunity to recuperate.

"I am convinced that the project will pay off quickly – not in monetary terms, but in number of lives saved, which is priceless. Our Center is exemplary in the Odesa Oblast. We actively share our experience and receive delegations from different regions of Ukraine," says Yurii Halchynskyi.

The Citizen Safety Center and the village council are already working on a new project to build a four-storey training tower.

United in recovery and development

So far, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided €640 million under three recovery programmes to rebuild critical infrastructure in communities affected by the ongoing hostilities and hosting large numbers of IDPs. These three recovery programmes across the country include modernising medical and educational facilities, repairing heating and water supply systems, social housing and more.

As of November 2024, EUR 25,2 million has been allocated to rebuild 30 public infrastructure buildings. Some have already been completed, while others like the Citizen Safety Center are underway.

Thanks to the synergy of the EIB, the EU Delegation to Ukraine, UNDP, the Government of Ukraine, in particular the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories and the Ministry of Finance, as well as local authorities, communities are gradually restoring and modernising their important social infrastructure.

Each implemented project is a step towards rebuilding and strengthening Ukraine.

^{*as of November 2024}

^{**Photos of the main building of the Center and from the mission to Kherson after the explosion at the Kakhovka HPP provided by Avangard village council}