With new experiences and good practices from the field, the firefighters completed the first specialized training

On September 29 and 30, 2022, in Bansko, Bulgaria, the firefighters and volunteers passed the first specialized training as part of the activities of the project “Cross-Border Cooperation in Forest Fire Fighting”. Around sixty participants from N. Macedonia and Bulgaria were part of the training which aim was enriching and expanding knowledge in dealing with forest fires.

The training and practical exercises were moderated and conducted by Mrs. Ralitsa Todorova, a certified trainer from the National Association of Volunteers in the Republic of Bulgaria and the Main Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection. Volunteers and professionals sat together at the table in order to share old, but also learn new knowledge and experiences from their colleagues. With the mutual exchange of “stories from the field” and through theoretical examples and analyses, as well as a demonstration in the field at the fire station in Bansko, the two days of the first module, which are just an announcement and the beginning of the upcoming specialized trainings, passed successfully. Six two-day trainings are planned to be realized, 3 of them will be held in the Republic of Bulgaria and 3 in the Republic of North Macedonia.

The trainings are part of the implementation of the project for “Cross-Border Cooperation in Forest Fire Fighting” financed by the European Union through the Interreg IPA Programme between Republic of Bulgaria and Republic of North Macedonia 2014-2020, a project that the Center for the Development of the South-East Planning Region is implementing in partnership with the Association of South Western Municipalities, Blagovegrad, Republic of Bulgaria.

A two-day workshop held in the frame of the project “Cross-Border Cooperation in Forest Fire Fighting”

The Centre for development of the South-East planning Region in the frame of the project “Cross-Border Cooperation in Forest Fire Fighting”, on 26th and 27th of November 2021, organized a two-day workshop to establish an informal network between stakeholders from the two cross border regions in order to create good coordination and structure for prevention and adequate response to natural and environmental hazards, with special emphasis and focus on forest fires.

Besides representatives from the Centre, as organizers of the event, the workshop was attended by representatives of the Project Lead Partner – Association of Southwestern Municipalities, Blagoevgrad – Republic of Bulgaria, representatives of municipalities, municipal territorial firefighting units and volunteer associations from both countries, representatives of regional Crisis Management Centres, representatives of the regional offices of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, as well as all stakeholders in preventing and mitigating the consequences of natural disasters, environmental hazards and human factor caused disasters.

The workshop was successfully conducted and all participants contributed with their presentations and discussions. As part of the workshop, a framework for the functioning of the informal network was prepared, as well as a draft Memorandum of Cooperation which will be sent to all participants and stakeholders for additional comments and finalization before it is finally signed at the Final Conference of the project.

“Creating good coordination and structure for prevention of the forest fires, but also timely response is essential in implementing this partnership. This is what makes our job easier, quick contacts and efficient data collection. They provide us with their information, we give our data regarding the type of the burning material, the surface, the weather conditions in our country, the weather conditions in their country so that a joint action could be implemented”, said Mr. Mitko Dimchev – Inspector in the Directorate for protection and rescue (regional unit Strumica).

The network is informal and in the future will serve as a basis for better coordination between the competent structures in both countries. Although the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria already have several international agreements in the field of civil protection, this network will facilitate cooperation primarily between local and regional institutions.

“The establishment of this network will in big extent facilitate the communication between the colleagues from our country and the Republic of Bulgaria for joint and coordinated performance on the field”, said Alexander Gudev – Commander of Territorial Firefighting Unit Strumica.

The participants in the workshop shared many positive experiences that should guide the institutions in the future, but also shared real problems that need to be addressed together.

This project is co-funded by the European Union and by National Funds of the Participating Countries under the IPA Cross – Border Programme

First press conference held within the project “Cross-Border Cooperation in Forest Fire Fighting”

The Centre for Development of the South-East Planning Region, within the project “Cross-Border Cooperation in Forest Fire Fighting” on September 24, 2021, at Hotel Sirius, Strumica held a press conference where representatives of the media from the region were invited. The project team together with the Director of the Centre, Ms. Zhulieta Gjurkova, and a representative of the Territorial Firefighting Unit (TPPE), Strumica, presented the activities and expected results to better inform the public what is the purpose of the project and what benefits are expected from it.
Through this project, 112 firefighters from the South-East Planning Region will receive specialized personal protective equipment for forest fires. As a result of the analysis, it is realized that no firefighting unit in this region has suits for firefighters intended for forest fires.

“Our goal and our idea are to be side by side with all European firefighters, to have the complete equipment to be able to respond to disasters. “They are capable, they have all the skills necessary, they are trained, but they need to have the appropriate equipment and be properly dressed to be effective in such situations.” – said the Director of the Centre for Development of the South-East Planning Region, Ms. Gjurkova.

For firefighters, the procurement of new equipment is very important because it will provide much greater efficiency during forest interventions, and at the same time will increase their safety, said Mr. Risto Janakiev – representative of TPPE Strumica, and added that with the equipment they will significantly approach the standards of the European Union.

At the press conference, through a short presentation by the project team, the journalists were informed about the other activities planned within this project, the establishment of a cross-border network for prevention and response to natural and environmental hazards arising from forest fires, organization of six specialized trainings for the representatives of the territorial firefighting units and volunteer associations with internationally certified trainers, promotion and raising of public awareness for encouraging volunteerism in firefighting as well as prevention of forest fires.

The project is scheduled to last 24 months.

First meeting of the team on the project “Cross-Border Cooperation in Forest Fire Fighting” held in Blagoevgrad, Republic of Bulgaria

In the frame of the project “Cross-border Cooperation in Forest Fire Fighting” funded by the European Union through the Interreg IPA CBC Program between the Republic of Bulgaria and Republic of North Macedonia on 30.08.2021 and 31.08.2021, in Blagoevgrad at the premises of the Lead Partner – Association of Southwestern Municipalities, Republic of Bulgaria, the first meeting of the project team was held.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the project activities, what has been implemented until now and what are the next steps of implementation of each of the partners.

Following the obligations for the Request for First Level Control, the two partners jointly submitted the requests in coordination within the deadline. On the meeting, the team reviewed and discussed the Project Progress Report 2 (PP2), which was submitted to the Beneficiary Portal for the previous project period.
The team also discussed for the maintenance of the first press-conferences within the project, as well as the first workshop for the establishment of a cross-border network for prevention and response in case of natural and environmental hazards. According to the active measures at that time for COVID-19.

The project is co-funded by the European Union and the National Funds of the participating countries through the Interreg IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program between the Republic of Bulgaria – Republic of North Macedonia 2014-2020.