An innovative security center with an interactive environment is being created in Vitebsk

An innovative safety center with an interactive environment for practical training of children in emergency situations is being created in Vitebsk. This was announced by the Head of the Supervision and Prevention Department of the regional Emergency Situations Ministry Directorate, Alexander Sychev, during a round table discussion dedicated to the unified injury prevention day, held at the Vitebsk Regional Children's Clinical Center.

"Work is underway to create an innovative safety center in the region, which is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of children's training in extreme and other emergency situations. For example, one room will simulate a quarry, another - a body of water covered with ice, a third - an open body of water, a fourth - gas appliances, a fifth - electrical appliances, stove heating, further - road signs, traffic lights. Perhaps some issues related to labor protection as well. Everywhere, an instructor will convey certain points, and at the exit - a video, mini-tests, or an action," explained Alexander Sychev.

It is assumed that through the education system, students and pupils of all institutions in the region will visit this center in groups, where they can practically practice the educational material on life safety. "Currently, we ourselves visit schools and conduct some preventive measures. But the level that should be is not yet there. In Minsk, gymnasiums have their own safety centers: a large room with an interactive whiteboard, computers, tests. This is a good example," added the Head of the Agitation and Propaganda Department of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee, Olesya Seregina.

More than half of the republic's regions already have such centers. In Vitebsk, a building of one of the colleges has been designated for the facility. A general project and the content of individual rooms have been developed. Several working group meetings have already taken place, and the issue of financing the construction is currently being resolved.

A round table discussion on "Prevention of Childhood Injuries in the Vitebsk Region" brought together specialists from almost all key entities involved in this work at the Vitebsk Regional Children's Clinical Center (VRCCC) - the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the State Automobile Inspectorate, and healthcare. In his speech, Alexander Sychev focused on the criteria for assessing socially dangerous situations and cases where children are left unsupervised. He reported that there are few regions in the region where an interaction algorithm has been developed for identifying such facts. For example, when a postman, a water utility worker, or a housing and communal services employee enters a house and sees that children are alone with no adults present, not everyone knows who to call in this situation, who to report to, or simply does not want to get involved. Therefore, everything still depends on the personal conscientiousness of parents, as emphasized by the representative of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Medics, based on statistics of injury cases they receive, confirmed that domestic childhood injuries account for the highest proportion. For instance, according to Lyudmila Karlova, head of the preschool and school department of the VRCCC, such cases constitute 78% in Vitebsk. These are followed by incidents in public places, on the street, and during mass events - 20%. And a very small percentage occurs in kindergartens and schools. This means that the main focus should be on working with parents, who must be aware of their responsibility, know about all the risks for their child, try to minimize them, and demonstrate adherence to safety rules by personal example.

Ekaterina Knyazeva, BELTA.