Bare-handed firefighters, without protective masks, goggles, gloves, boots, or firefighting suits... have been "rescuing" the hillsides of Podgorica, Danilovgrad, Bijelo Polje, and the coast from the elements for days.
According to official data, this is at least their eighth fire season during which they have almost no adequate equipment.
This is even more visible during the current fires - those in T-shirts and sneakers, without protective equipment, side by side with firefighters from Austria and Switzerland in full rescue gear...
"The equipment of protection and rescue services varies from municipality to municipality. Based on statistical data, the average age of personal protective equipment is 8,5 years. Personal protective equipment owned by protection and rescue services is outdated in most municipalities in northern Montenegro," states the Report on the State of the Protection and Rescue System in Montenegro in 2024, which the Government published in March this year.
According to the letter of the law, the protection and rescue sector should be financed from the budget of Montenegro, but also from the coffers of local governments, the state fund (a record account within the treasury general ledger), international aid, funds from companies, other legal entities and entrepreneurs.
The Government and the relevant departments, the Interior and Finance, have not responded to "Vijesti's" questions for days regarding plans for the next fire season - how they will equip firefighters, but also whether they intend to include money in the 2026 budget for the renewal of machinery, aircraft...
Despite the legal obligations of the state and municipalities, Montenegrin firefighters faced this year's natural disasters without basic equipment, so telecommunications companies have been calling on citizens to donate in recent days.
By order of the Ministry of Finance, Crnogorska komercijalna banka opened a transaction account in the national payment system and a transaction account in the international payment system yesterday, for the purpose of paying in funds for the "Assistance for the rehabilitation of the consequences of the fire".
Families brought jackets and boots, Mujović announced new equipment
"Our firefighters are not properly equipped. Big hearts, but bare hands. Some of them had their families bring jackets, boots the other night... And we brought what we had," residents of Kuče and Piper told reporters for "Vijesti" yesterday.
Interlocutors from the protection and rescue sector are also dissatisfied with the attitude of the state and municipalities towards firefighters.
They explain that in Montenegro, only three services, from Nikšić, Bar and Kotor, generally have everything they need in terms of personal equipment.
"Without them, no service has anything. And of course, all of this depends mostly on the head of the house - the mayor. Colleagues from all over the country are engaged in Podgorica, and they are extinguishing fires without jackets, masks and gloves. Someone needs to ask themselves whose responsibility it would be if there was an injury or something worse," says the editorial source.
"The average age of personal equipment used by employees in local protection and rescue services is 8,5 years. Personal protective equipment owned by protection and rescue services has worn out in most municipalities in northern Montenegro," states the Report on the State of the Protection and Rescue System in Montenegro in 2024, which the Government published in March this year.
Mayor of Podgorica Saša Mujović, whom "Vijesti" reporters met yesterday in Kučki koriti while touring the area, promises to improve the situation and emphasizes that the Capital has taken certain steps in that direction.
"The capital has already issued a public call for tenders for the procurement of a special vehicle. The tender value is 1.100.000 euros. Also, the preparation of technical specifications for the procurement of two new fire trucks is underway, one of which is used to extinguish fires in inaccessible places. In addition, 150.000 euros is intended for the procurement of state-of-the-art equipment for firefighters, as well as for the procurement of new radio communications. In general, the fire service can always be better equipped. We are trying to increase capacity. It should be borne in mind that there is no optimal way to equip a fire department or any other service to protect you from these types of fires," Mujović pointed out.
According to data from the Ministry of Interior's report for 2024, there are a total of 246 vehicles in municipal protection and rescue services, of which 145 fire and rescue vehicles are in good working order and at full capacity.
"There are 64 other technically correct vehicles. A total of 37 vehicles are defective," the report for last year states.
Locals real support from the mainland
Montenegrin rescuers and soldiers have another busy day, the sixth during which they have been battling the flames.
The most critical points yesterday were in the vicinity of Podgorica and Danilovgrad, and fires were also burning in Nikšić, Šavnik, Bijelo Polje and Pljevlja.
In addition to the aircraft of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Army of Montenegro, air support was also provided yesterday by international partners: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Italy, and the Czech Republic. Support on land, in the areas of the Piper villages of Seoca and Gornja Mrka, was provided to Montenegrin firefighters by 50 rescuers from Austria and 19 from Switzerland.
Locals are also with the firefighters. A photojournalist from “Vijesti” yesterday captured a moment in which the locals of Kučki koriti provided real support from the ground to the crew of the VCG helicopter, handing them a bag of food.
One of the family members Milic who lives in Kučki koriti said that hundreds of people have been fighting fires in this area for days.
He said the fire subsided on Thursday, only to flare up again on Friday morning.
Local Darko Rašović He told "Vijesti" that they put out fires during the day and are on duty at night.
"The situation is more or less better, but in the place we call the Black Hole it is very bad - it is most critical there... There was no electricity yesterday for a few hours, it came back on around seven in the evening," he said.
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