Two neighbouring communities on the Romania-Serbia border are benefitting from a project to improve their ability to respond to and cope with natural emergencies such as floods, heavy snow and forest fires. The EESM (Efficiency in Emergency Situations Management) project paid for the construction of an emergency management centre in Mosna, Serbia. It provided a range of emergency vehicles and equipment – resources to be shared with the Sisesti Commune in Romania. Volunteer staff were trained as part of this EU-funded cross-border venture.
- 10 April 2019
Participation in this project will bring us opportunities to get ready for the challenges of emergency situations. We will have trained people, prepared infrastructure and efficient equipment for fast reactions in the case of emergency situations. Our benefits are long-term. We intend to have a sustainable system for defending and protecting people and properties from future disasters.
The emergency vehicles purchased through the project are designed to carry out a range of tasks. A backhoe loader can be used to dig and level land, and remove snow, fallen trees and rockslides from roads. A truck with a snow-blade can shift snow, rock, soil and silt. In addition, the centre’s new firefighting vehicle comes complete with water and foam tanks, plus extra rescue equipment like a hydraulic demolishing tool.
Essential equipment
The centre has been stocked with emergency equipment including protective boots and clothing, shovels, chainsaws, fire hoses, electrical generators, welding tools and drills. Firefighting equipment has been purchased for volunteers, such as fireproof trousers and jackets, helmets and breathing apparatus. The emergency response capacity has been bolstered with communications equipment, including a radio system, megaphones and a public warning siren.
Ten people from Mosna were trained to work as voluntary firefighters on both sides of the border. They all graduated as qualified firefighters after taking nationally recognised exams. Their theoretical training focused on tackling different types of fires. They learned how to react to different emergency situations. In the practical part of their training, they tested all the tools and fought a simulation of a real fire.
Vital need
The new centre, equipment and trained personnel meet a vital need in this region, which has to cope with a range of environmental challenges. Natural emergencies happen regularly: forest fires in summer, heavy snowfall in winter, and ever-present threat of flooding from the River Danube. These events frequently cause damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure which can cut communities off from the outside world. The EESM project has provided a range of complementary resources that can be deployed to handle all these problems 24/7.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Efficiency in emergency situations management- EESM” is EUR 844 637, with the EU’s Interreg IPA Fund contributing EUR 717 942 through the “Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Romania-Serbia” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Environmental protection and risk management”.