Recognition of volunteers and the institutions that support them

The Ministry of the Interior recognises the supporters of volunteers as well as groups of internal security volunteers, such as rescue teams, maritime rescue associations, assistant police officer groups and neighbourhood watch regions for their contribution to increasing internal security and developing volunteer work in Estonia.

Recognitions are bestowed as follows:

• The Volunteer Rescue Crew or Reserve Rescue Group of the Year – a volunteer rescue crew or reserve rescue group that has made a contribution to increasing internal security and developing volunteer work in Estonia by skilfully participating in responding to a rescue event and/or in preventive work, undergoing extraordinary organisational development or increasing the number of its members. Recognition is bestowed on 1 group or crew.
• The Volunteer Maritime Rescue Association of the Year – a volunteer maritime rescue association that has made a contribution to increasing internal security and developing volunteer work in Estonia by skilfully participating in responding to a vital event, undergoing extraordinary organisational development or increasing the number of its members. Recognition is bestowed on 1 association.
• The Assistant Police Officer Group of the Year – an assistant police officer group that has made a contribution to increasing internal security and developing volunteer work in Estonia by significantly contributing to the activities of the police, undergoing extraordinary organisational development or increasing the number of its members. Recognition is bestowed on 1 group.
• The Neighbourhood Watch Region of the Year – a neighbourhood watch region that has made a contribution to increasing the security of the community by significantly contributing to making its region safer, undergoing extraordinary organisational development or increasing the number of its members. Recognition is bestowed on 1 region.
• The Pillar of Volunteers of the Year is bestowed on an employee of an institution in the area of government of the Ministry of the Interior who has supported the activities of volunteer rescuers, volunteer maritime rescuers, assistant police officers, Emergency Response Centre volunteers or neighbourhood watch with his or her effective work. Recognition is bestowed on 1 person.
• The recognition of the Innovator of the Year is bestowed on an institution or cooperation partner who has implemented a significant innovation that has contributed to engaging volunteers in the area of internal security. Recognition is bestowed on 1 person.
• The recognition of the Supporter of Volunteers of the Year is bestowed on a natural or legal person or a group of persons who have supported the activities of volunteer rescuers, volunteer maritime rescuers or assistant police officers or made another contribution that supports volunteer work in achieving the objectives of the Ministry of the Interior in increasing security in society. The Supporter of Volunteers is not an employee of the area of government of the Ministry of the Interior. Recognition is bestowed on up to ten supporters.

The Ministry of the Interior invites the institutions of its area of government, cooperation partners, NGO associations, companies’ associations and county development organisations to nominate candidates and disseminate the invitation.

The recipients of recognitions are published on the webpage of the Ministry of the Interior and recognitions are handed over at a festive ceremony.