Gov’t plans to purchase special fire engines
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The government of Georgia has allocated 10 million GEL [$4,8] to purchase special fire engines to more effectively combat fires, Deputy Head of the Emergency Service Shalva Khutsishvili has announced.
Khutsishvili stated that at the first stage 19 new vehicles will be purchased with a capacity of 3-4 tons of water. The vehicles will be able to douse fires with water while in motion.
The vehicles will have some other features as well and will be very effective against fires. We will have the vehicles hopefully by the summer,” Khutsishvili said.
He announced that the Emergency Service will renew its helicopter fleet and will have two bases for the helicopters, one in the west and another in the east of Georgia.
Khutsishvili stated that the body also planned to create special volunteering groups in the regions where forest fires are more frequent.
He said that the groups will be composed of local residents who will act until emergency brigades appear on the scene.
Georgia had to put out about 100 fires last summer.
This morning, Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Mgebrishvili held a meeting at the field operations center and gave out new instructions as to how to carry out fire-extinguishing activities.
Firemen, fire engines and helicopters are still fighting forest fires at four different locations across Georgia. This morning, the Ministry of Internal Affairs released a statement providing updates for the wildfires.
A fire has broken out on the Kokhta mountain in Georgia’s eastern region of Kakheti today. Two Iranian helicopters will assist the Georgia Emergency Service to extinguish the fire.
A fire erupted today at the forest near Abastumani, a small town and climatic spa in Georgia’s Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Georgia’s Emergency Situations Agency reported, manpower and all necessary technique are already mobilised at the scene.
Fines imposed on the violation of fire safety rules will increase ten times according to a draft law prepared by the Emergency Management Service.
Georgia has bought 30 modern emergency fire engines from German Magirus Company, taking steps to fully replace outdated Russian-made vehicles, the Georgian Emergency Management Service reports.