Events

Belarus’ emergencies teams handle over 8,000 calls each week

MINSK, 25 July (BelTA) - Every week, the units of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry carry out more than 8,000 missions to provide assistance to people, Emergencies Minister Vadim Sinyavsky said during a ceremony marking Fire Service Day in Belarus on 25 July, BelTA has learned.

“Every week, the Emergencies Ministry units across the country carry out more than 8,000 responses to provide assistance to people, extinguish over 100 fires per week, and that means thousands of lives saved and thousands of people evacuated from emergency sites,” said Vadim Sinyavsky.

This year marks the 173^rd anniversary of the Belarusian fire service. The issue of establishing a fire station in Minsk was first considered at the state level on 25 July 1853, when the Minsk Provincial Government and the Minsk City Duma approved the staffing and equipment list and began forming the city’s first fire brigade. The first officially organized team consisted of 51 people.

“The fire service of modern Belarus operates around the clock, 24/7, carrying out the tasks set before it. That is how it was, how it is, and how it will be for years to come. One hundred and seventy-three years ago, the first fire station was formed in Minsk. Much has changed since then, but the essence of the work has remained the same. Back then, people fought fires that caused serious damage to the city and its residents, and today, we face serious emergencies that require prompt response,” the minister said.

Today, the rescue agency’s units are actively developing. They are being equipped with modern vehicles and equipment. But the key to successful mission execution remains the professionalism of the personnel. “The University of Civil Protection, our training and retraining institutes, and initial training programs provide the necessary knowledge and skills to those who join the Emergencies Ministry,” Vadim Sinyavsky emphasized.

At Victory Square in Minsk, leadership, personnel, veterans of the rescue agency, and honored guests laid flowers at the monument. Following the ceremony, the Emergencies Ministry personnel received well-deserved awards for their significant contribution to the development and improvement of efforts to protect the population and territories from emergencies. Rescuers who demonstrated courage and professionalism in extinguishing a fire that broke out on 28 June on Lenin Street in Minsk were also honored.

The Fire Service Day celebrations continued in Gorky Park. Organizers prepared a concert, a parade of watercraft on the Svisloch River with demonstration performances by the Emergencies Ministry aviation, and much more.