Located near chemical weapons stockpiles or nuclear destruction facilities, these offices inform, educate and support communities affected by the Cold War's legacy. In the last ten years the public outreach offices have built strong relationships with the communities, averaging 500 visitors monthly or 30 daily. The activities and opportunities for civic engagement offered by the offices have resulted in the emergence of trust previously absent, such as through the Citizens' Advisory Committees (CACs) which our offices have established in many chemical weapons destruction areas. CACs are advisory boards composed of diverse community representatives and are responsible for reaching a community consensus to use when liaising with local, regional and federal authorities.
Emergency preparedness is critical for the Russian public outreach offices since the risk of accidents is high and often government emergency procedures, training, and equipment are inadequate, as demonstrated by chemical and environmental disasters.
In Kambarka,the emergency sirens could not communicate accident details across the region. One of two emergency preparedness initiatives begun in 2007 distributed 2,000 radios in the region to complement the existing emergency sirens. Currently, most of the Kambarka region's population, thanks to Green Cross, has access to emergency response communication.
In Kizner, 150 chemical weapons cleanup suits have been issued to local volunteers, which, when coupled with the practical training coordinated by Green Cross outreach offices, allow citizens to ensure their health and safety.
Public outreach offices educate the community on new laws and constantly changing technology and train librarians, postmen, journalists, and teachers to pass along accurate and dependable information.
In February 2007, the first public outreach office at a nuclear submarine dismantlement site was opened in Severodvinsk, Russia, where the world's largestshipyard maintains and decommissions nuclear ships and submarines. The Severodvinsk outreach office will help the Green Cross Legacy Programme encompass issues that are unique to nuclear weapons dismantlement, yet capitalise on 10 years of chemical weapons outreach expertise.
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