Georgia grateful for its "brave" firefighters and rescue officers
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Today Georgia is officially saying thank you to the country’s firefighters and rescue officers for their commitment and service for public safety.
For the first time in the country’s history, Georgia is today celebrating the day of firefighters and rescue officers.
Official celebrations are taking place in western Georgia’s Black Sea coastal city Batumi.
Georgia's Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Mgebrishvili met Georgian rescue officers and thanked them for their service and efforts to save and protect others.
Your profession is utterly difficult, demanding and it requires much responsibility,” the Minister told the officers,
Very often the lives and security of our citizens depend on your professionalism and commitment.”
Mgebrishvili stressed Georgia had "very brave and professional" firefighters and rescue officers who were ready to risk their own lives to save others.
TBILISI FLOOD: A CITY THAT CHANGED OVERNIGHT
At the celebrations today the Minister announced a street in capital Tbilisi would be named after Zurab (Zura) Muzashvili, the rescue officer who sacrificed his life to save several people during the June 13, 2015 deadly flash flood in Tbilisi.
Muzashvili died after saving seven people then returned to the flooded area to search for other survivors during the major flood, which hit Tbilisi’s Vake-Saburtalo district last summer.
The hero was posthumously honoured and awarded a medal for Civic Devotion by Georgia’s President.
Georgian leaders, high officials and other citizens from all around the country are gathering in a small village in central Georgia to pay homage to the rescue officer who sacrificed his life to save others during the June 13 deadly flash flood in Tbilisi.
A disaster is unfolding in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. Heavy rain is causing major damage in Tbilisi's Vake-Saburtalo district. Roads have been swamped, cars have been washed away and houses have been severely flooded. Several animals have also escaped from Tbilisi Zoo.
Updated: 7.43pm: The bodies of two more victims of the Tbilisi flood have been found this evening, bringing the death toll to 19.
Solidarity is the best word to describe the situation in Tbilisi today as hundreds volunteered to help the affected families and clean the city’s streets after Saturday night’s deadly flood.
Georgia is offering better social packages to its rescue officers and firefighters who dedicate their lives to serving the country. Parliament adopted changes to increase the state support for families of emergency respondents who are killed on duty.
Firefighter Tornike Kiparoidze, a father of one, has died after falling off a fire truck ladder when he was trying to extinguish a fire in Georgia’s Black Sea city of Batumi today.