The Delegation of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine visits the Fire and Rescue Department
On the 1st of August 2023, the delegation of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine visited the Fire and Rescue Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the “Department”). During the visit, the delegation met with the authority and representatives from the Department.
“We have had a number of meetings with Ukrainian firefighters rescuers. We understand that they need our support and we try to help as much as we can. Their work experience is valuable and significant for us. During this visit, the delegation will get to know how we work and we also have a great opportunity to learn from them. We hope that this partnership will further strengthen the cooperation between our services and help us to be better prepared for potential emergencies,“ said Mr Saulius Greičius, Director of the Department.
Mr Stanislav Rudyi, Head of the Ukrainian delegation, noted that the meeting with their Lithuanian counterparts will further strengthen cooperation. He expressed his sincere gratitude for this opportunity, noting that firefighters have no borders and the support they receive strengthens them.
During the meeting, the visitors were introduced to the structure and activities of the State Fire and Rescue Service of Lithuania. They also discussed the implementation of the Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Fund Project “Cooperation in the field of fire and rescue services for better preparation of candidate countries. Safety First!“ issues.
The delegation also presented the situation in the country and major challenges. Even in the midst of war in Ukraine, prevention plays an important role. Therefore, a great amount of this work focuses on children – they are taught to protect themselves not only from fires, but also from mines and shelling. A lot of work is being done with the Ministry of Education. Over 700 specialised classrooms have been set up in the country, where children learn safety skills. Firefighters, policemen and medics share their knowledge in these classes. Information is presented in the form of games. Experience shows that the advice given by officials is more suggestive than that given by teachers. Poland has provided significant support for the installation of such classrooms.
During their week-long visit, the delegation will visit Fire and Rescue Boards of Vilnius, Šiauliai and Klaipėda to get acquainted with their structure and preparedness. Exercises and training sessions will also be organised to share best practices and experiences.