Europe-Belarus: a million euro idea
17.11.2007 | Publications
EU is ready to give that much money to
create an international volunteer centre of young firefighters and rescuers
in Brest in 2008-2009.Brest has received another opportunity
to become a construction site for an international project . The technical
secretariat of the Poland-Belarus-Ukraine Interreg III A/TACIS CBC neighbourhood
programme has already confirmed this fact. One million euro will
be issued to fulfill the grand plan of Brest regional department of
Ministry on Emergency Situations. The idea has appeared only recently,
but there’s already a chance to make it come to life. The project
includes creation of an international youth volunteer centre for young
firefighters and rescuers on Lieutenanta Ryabtseva street 54, where
a training complex of the regional MES department is situated.
90 percent of the costs will be provided
by the EU, and Brest firefighters will fund the rest. The realization
is expected to last for 23 months in 2008 and 2009. But before that,
the project must go through an approval procedure in Belarusian government,
which will take a couple months.
Konstantin Shershunovich, the head of
the regional MES department, told that the “101” service participated
in the IV competition in social infrastructure improvement projects
of Poland-Belarus-Ukraine Interreg III A/TACIS CBC. And the Brest region
was the only Belarusian applicant to receive formal approval of the
judging committee. And before that, they had to go through two stages
– formal and technical estimation. Altogether there were 170 applications
from state and non-governmental organizations of Poland, Ukraine and
Belarus. 35 of them – from Belarus and Ukraine.
So, what is the essence of the project,
which interested the Europe so much? The project is called “Improvement
of the System of Public Participation in Prevention and Liquidation
of Ecological Catastrophes in “Bug” Euroregion”. Its main objective
is raising the level of ecological culture of population and fire security
of border territories, lessening the number of fires in the forests,
stopping of burning the dry plants. Systematical approach requires close
cooperation between the rescue services of the three countries, local
authorities, NGOs, volunteers. And the volunteer centre will assist
in that. Adults will study there as well. There will be teachers, who’ll
help the MES to spread the “fire awareness education” not just in
big but also in small and remote settlements.
They plan to conduct special seminars
in those districts of Brest region, which are more likely to suffer
from fires and contain unique ecological objects of international importance.
The informational campaign in prevention of forest fires will be enlarged
by creation a website and a forum of “Bug” Euroregion young firefighters
and rescuers, plus a permanent informational and methodic centre for
consultation of the population in ecological culture and life security.
The complex of actions will allow the
work on ecological security of the region, environment monitoring system
and international volunteer movement.
The grant will also be used to finish the reconstruction of the training base of Brest “101” service. It will be available for everyone, so not just the professional firefighters, but also their young assistants, volunteer firefighter squad members, students etc. could improve their fire prevention and fighting skills.
Tamara Tiborovskaya
-
03.01
-
07.10
-
22.09
-
17.08
-
12.08
-
30.09
