site.btaDisasters Know No Borders, More Cross-Border Projects Needed, Says Fire Safety Expert

Disasters know no borders and, perhaps, more cross-border projects are needed, Commissioner Valentin Vasilev, Director of the Regional Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection in Blagoevgrad, told journalists here on Thursday.

Vasilev participated in the opening of the Floodguard 2 project, which builds on the first phase of the project launched in 2019. It aims to increase the capacity of the first responders to floods and subsequent disasters and emergencies in the cross-border region between Bulgaria and Greece. This includes ensuring proper and timely response to various disasters and crises through the supply of specialized equipment, conducting joint training and exercises, and increasing the awareness and preparedness of the population.

The activities aim to complete the construction, equipping and furnishing of a Joint Training Centre in the Blagoevgrad village of Moshtanets, as well as the supply of specialized and rescue equipment, which includes off-road light trucks with wheeled trailers, rescue boats, pickup trucks with trailers with pumps and generators, as well as specialized equipment for field teams.

Vasilev pointed out that such projects improve the work of teams on both sides of the border, as well as the coordination between them, and added that joint trainings, such as those envisaged under the current project, provide an opportunity for exchange of experience. "Fires have been ravaging parts of Greece for many years, and the experience [Greek firefighting experts] have would be useful for us in dealing with fires on our territory, just as we have greater experience in other incidents, which would help them," he noted. He emphasized that opening to other services in neighbouring countries contributes to the development of skills.

The project is conducted by the Directorate General for Disaster and Emergency Management under the Interior Ministry of Bulgaria and the Hellenic Fire Service under the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection in Greece. The implementation period is 36 months, and the budget is nearly EUR 6.8 million.