The handover of six specialized fire trucks, intended to strengthen the operational capacities of local protection and rescue services, took place at the National Protection and Rescue Training Center in Podgorica.
The vehicles were provided as part of the project "Strengthening Resilience to Climate Change in the Southern Adriatic" - RESILIENCE, funded by the European Union, through the Interreg IPA Program South Adriatic 2021–2027.
They were allocated to the municipalities of: Bar, Danilovgrad, Ulcinj, and the Royal Capital of Cetinje, while two vehicles were temporarily ceded to the Capital City of Podgorica, as an administrative and technical user, until the formal establishment of protection services in Zeta and Tuzi.
The total value of the vehicles is 399.154,80 euros, and all vehicles are equipped with dedicated high-pressure firefighting modules, water tanks, signaling and equipment for intervention in difficult-to-access terrain, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) announced.
"The procurement of specialized vehicles represents one of the key results of the project and a contribution to strengthening the readiness of municipalities to respond in the event of open-air fires, natural disasters and other emergencies. The new vehicles will enable faster intervention, greater accessibility in inaccessible terrain and more efficient operation of local protection and rescue units," the statement reads.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Dragana Kažanegra Stanišić emphasized that investing in the equipment and capacities of the services is not just a financial investment. "It is an investment in people's lives, in the safety of our communities, in the ability of the state to respond to challenges. The Government and the Ministry of Internal Affairs remain fully committed to further strengthening the protection and rescue system."
Director General of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, Miodrag Bešović, announced that this project is not an individual activity, but part of a broader vision and strategy for the development of the protection and rescue system. He announced another project, which has begun its implementation, which will purchase fire trucks for the municipalities included in the project.
Head of the Directorate for Operational Affairs Radomir Šćepanović and National Program Coordinator of the Ministry for European Affairs Slađana Pešić emphasized the importance of cross-border cooperation and the contribution of the European Union in the modernization of response capacities.
The vehicles were taken over on behalf of the municipalities by the Mayor of Danilovgrad Aleksandar Grgurović, the Mayor of Ulcinj Genci Nimanbegu, the Deputy Mayor of Cetinje Ana Novović, the Commander of the Bar Protection Service Aco Vulević, and the Commander of the Capital City Protection and Rescue Service Nikola Bojanović.
"The RESILIENCE project is a strategic initiative aimed at improving the capacities of protection and rescue services in the cross-border area of Albania, Montenegro and Italy and includes the modernization of equipment, joint operating protocols, specialized training and the development of regional procedures for responding to emergency situations," the Ministry of Interior reminds.
In Montenegro, the project is being implemented by the Directorate for Protection and Rescue of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the total project budget for Montenegro is 761.796 euros, of which the European Union is financing 85 percent of the budget.
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs will continue to work on strengthening the capacities of all local government units through training, professional development and further procurement of equipment," the statement reads.
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