Thanks to volunteer rescuers, most people outside the major cities in Estonia can feel safe. Volunteer rescuers are mainly involved in firefighting, helping animals in distress and responding to road accidents.

The entire coast of Estonia is covered by a network of volunteer maritime rescuers who rush to the aid of those in need of help. They also keep an eye on the possible pollution and safety of beaches.

Volunteer rescuers are the first in their communities who can be relied on when a crisis needs to be solved. These nearly 3000 men and women contribute their time and very often their personal resources. However, when it comes to equipment, they rely mainly on the good will of the community and supporters.

We have also sent Ukrainian rescuers large quantities of necessary personal protective equipment and rescue equipment with the help of Estonians. The situation of Ukrainian rescuers is a good example of why we now need to invest even more in the preparedness of our own volunteer rescuers. You never know when a crisis can happen – whether natural disasters or war, our volunteer rescuers must be equipped and ready to respond so that even the most remote corner of Estonia can get help in time.

Let’s turn volunteer commands into real community protection centres.

A monthly fixed donation of €10 made by five people will enable the Rescue Associations to buy a set of protective clothing for one volunteer.

The organization is included on the list of income tax incentive non-profit organizations and the donors will get back the income tax paid from their donation and the donations made by companies are tax-free (Estonian Income Tax Act § 49). Read more about taxes: Donating and taxes.