A needs assessment to evaluate the fire mitigating measures in Montenegro concluded on 12 May, conducted by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) for the Ministry of Defense and with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.
During the week, representatives of the Swedish delegation, the Mission and the Ministry held working meetings and field visits to assess the firefighting preparedness before the start of the forest fire season.
Representatives of the Ministry of Defense stated that the visit of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency was of great importance in advance of the fire season. "We are preparing and reviewing our fire system, so their experiences and support will help us enhance our system and readiness for all types of hazards," said Ministry's representatives.
Ulrika Hedman, Swedish Agency's Project Manager, said that after a week of conversations, observations and exchange of experiences, they see room for improvement in the firefighting capacities of the country. "My firefighter team and I would like to thank both the OSCE Mission and the Ministry of Defence for organizing this assessment. We are looking forward to continued co-operation during the year," said Hedman.
Dominique Waag, Head of OSCE Mission, expressed gratitude for the promised Swedish assistance as well as for seconding a Project officer to the Mission.
The Mission is supporting the Ministry of Defence in improving firefighting capabilities under the auspices of the extra budgetary project "Mitigation of Safety and Security Risks related to SALW/SCA in Montenegro".
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency is responsible for helping the Swedish society prepare for major accidents, crises and the consequences of war. In addition, the Agency provides international support to many partners and participates in a number of co-operation forums in the area of civil protection and preparedness, peace-support operations and more.
