Students in Riga school practice response to potential aerial threat

On Thursday, September 24, Riga's 64th Secondary School conducted a practical exercise testing the school's readiness and response procedures in the event of a potential aerial threat. Nearly 700 students along with school staff took part, the Riga City Council reported.

The exercise simulated a scenario in which the school received a warning — first yellow, then orange — about a possible aerial threat. Following the alert, students and teachers were required to move to previously designated safer locations within the building.

Different shelter approaches

Depending on room configurations, students used varying strategies: some sheltered in the building's basement level, others gathered in corridors and other relatively safe spots, while in some classrooms students took cover under desks that had been repositioned for maximum protection. The guiding principle in choosing shelter locations was to stay as far as possible from windows, glazed surfaces, and exterior walls.

Riga Deputy Mayor Edvards Ratnieks noted that such scenarios cannot be fully assessed on paper alone, and that practical drills reveal how quickly a school can respond and whether the chosen shelter spots are suitable. He said both students and staff acted in an organized and calm manner, and stated the intention to eventually roll out such exercises across all schools in Riga.

The drill was organized by the Ministry of the Interior together with the State Fire and Rescue Service and Riga municipality's Civil Protection Administration. Fire service representatives observed staff and student actions during the exercise, with an analysis planned afterward to identify possible improvements to the school's safety and continuity plans.

The Riga municipality intends to gradually extend similar drills to other educational institutions in the capital. It was also noted that during an actual threat, children remain under school staff supervision, and parents are advised not to go to schools on their own to collect children unless instructed to do so by the school or responsible authorities.