site.btaFirefighter and Rescuer Training Centre Opens near Blagoevgrad
A training center for firefighters and rescuers, built under a cross-border project, opened its doors on Tuesday near the village of Pokrovnik in Blagoevgrad.
Those attending the opening included Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev; Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov, Director of the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection; Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Desislava Georgieva; and Blagoevgrad Mayor Metodi Baykushev. Inspector General of the Fire Service of Northern Greece Panagiotis Bathrellos and Head of the Interreg 2021–2027 Managing Authority Maria Nezeriti also attended.
The centre was built under Floodguard 2, a Greece-Bulgaria cross-border project to strengthen the prevention of and response to floods and subsequent natural disasters and emergencies in the border region. The project has a budget of nearly EUR 7 million.
"Climate change is confronting us with extreme situations, which in our regions mainly take the form of fires and floods," Demerdzhiev said at the opening. He added that such events were becoming more frequent and that every effort should be made to improve prevention and response.
Dzhartov said the centre would help firefighters and rescuers improve their ability to save lives. Children would also be able to train there, helping them prepare for risks associated with climate change. He added that the fire service had received six new rescue vehicles under a separate Bulgaria-Serbia cross-border project.
Baykushev delivered a welcome address. Nezeriti said Floodguard 2 was one of the programme’s strategic projects.
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