site.bta600-Plus Fire Trucks, Dozens of Firefighting Equipment Units in Operation - Council of Ministers' Report

More than 600 fire trucks and dozens of units of firefighting equipment are in operation, according to a Council of Ministers report submitted to the National Assembly on July 31. The report follows a decision adopted by Parliament on July 19, 2024, and aimed at taking measures to extinguish wildfires, allocating budget funds to assist those affected, and purchasing necessary firefighting equipment. The report includes detailed information on ongoing and planned projects related to these efforts.

The territorial units of the Fire Safety and Civil Protection General Directorate currently have 145 light-duty fire trucks, 422 medium-duty fire trucks, and 43 heavy-duty fire trucks in operation. There are 159 rescue vehicles, the report says.

The directorate’s units also operate three mobile command posts and six vehicles dedicated to monitoring forest fires. Other equipment includes 57 tankers and water trucks, eight bulldozers, five excavators, seven front loaders, and 32 container trucks. There are also 54 units of lifting equipment, such as aerial ladders and mobile cranes.

There is a project that involves the implementation of an information system designed for early detection of natural fires, monitoring, and real-time display of alarm events. This project is valued at BGN 1,041,600.

The report notes that the Ministry of Defence maintains 22 units ready to respond to disasters, including 440 servicepersons and 93 pieces of equipment. Fifteen units are deployed in southern Bulgaria and seven in northern Bulgaria.

To perform special aerial firefighting tasks, the armed forces have two Mi-17 helicopters and two AS 532 Cougar helicopters. There are four trained crews for the Mi-17s and six for the AS 532 Cougars. After additional training and education, the number of trained crews for Mi-17 has increased to six, and for AS 532 Cougar to seven.

In accordance with a decision of the Council of Ministers dated July 24, 2024, which allocated BGN 1,000,000 from the Defence Ministry's budget for the acquisition of a system of collapsible water-carrying devices, 10 new Babmi Bucket systems were purchased.

Estimates are being prepared to reinforce the units in the event of a complicated situation, bringing them up to 800 servicepersons, with their readiness for action reduced from 120 minutes to 60 minutes.

There are plans to purchase additional equipment to improve the operational capabilities of the Fire Safety and Civil Protection General Directorate structures. Investments in modern firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and risk monitoring and management technologies remain a priority, with opportunities for funding being sought from both the state budget and European and international programmes, the report adds.