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Piia Kallas is Chair of the Board and CEO of Päästeliit, the Estonian Rescue Association. She has extensive leadership experience from both the public-sector business environment and voluntary emergency services, including 13 years on the board of Estonia’s state-owned real estate company Riigi Kinnisvara AS. She holds an MBA from the University of Tartu. Since joining Päästeliit, Kallas has been a strong advocate for volunteer rescue organisations and has played a leading role in Estonia’s extensive support to Ukrainian rescuers. In 2025, she was named Estonia’s Citizen of the Year for her contribution to voluntary rescue, civil society and assistance to Ukraine.
Hendrik Tali is Head of Communications at Päästeliit, the Estonian Rescue Association, and a volunteer rescuer with Kaberneeme Volunteer Rescue. His work focuses on communications, volunteer rescue development, international cooperation and community preparedness. He has coordinated international training and exchange projects between rescue organisations in Estonia and Iceland and has professional experience in both the rescue and defence sectors. Hendrik studied at Tallinn University and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Leading Change in Society at the University of Tartu.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Estonian Rescue Association has delivered nearly €7 million worth of equipment and specialised solutions to Ukrainian rescuers - from rescue vehicles and protective gear to demining robots and equipment, mobile psychological first-aid units and emergency shelters. Yet this cooperation has become much more than the delivery of aid. Through direct field visits, needs-based support and joint training, Estonian volunteers have gained invaluable insight into rescue work during a prolonged war. Ordinary emergencies do not disappear, resources must remain mobile and adaptable, and the safety and mental well-being of rescuers become as critical as technical capability.
Piia Kallas and Hendrik Tali share the lessons learned from more than four years of cooperation and explain how Ukraine’s experience is reshaping volunteer rescue, civil protection and crisis preparedness in Estonia.