In the framework of the international development cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia with the Republic of Serbia a conference was concluded on 3 October 2015 to support the development of emergency response in Serbia and role of voluntary rescue services.

32 representatives of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia and Fire Association of Serbia participated in the conference and in addition to Slovene representatives of the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief and Fire Association of Slovenia, a contribution to the discussions was also provided by representatives of Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Joint conclusion of the participants was that the area of civil protection and disaster relief requires integrated approach and that it is necessary to continue with reforms which include all stakeholders involved in the repose to the emergency situations.

It was concluded that Serbian system needs especially more active involvement of municipalities which also includes establishment and strengthening of organised voluntarism and therefore a proposal was given to intensify communication of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia with mayors, i.e. heads of units of local self-government in this subject matter.

In addition to key role which mayors have in engagement of current potentials of the municipality, adequate planning and preparedness to the natural and other disasters is important and this includes risk assessment of the municipality, protection and rescue plan, operative fire-fighting plan and alarm plans, which are not in place yet. With new Law on emergency situations which is in preparation, more active involvement of municipalities in this area can also be reached with the support and the introduction of the function of municipal manager for civil protection and disaster relief. This professional in the municipality will be able, as an expert, to take care of development of civil protection and disaster relief, including the development of voluntary rescue services of the municipality. Another also important element is preparation and adoption of sub-legislation which will ensure adequate legislative framework for functioning of the system.

As part of the conclusions of the conference a suggestion for pilot project of joint training of trainers of professional and voluntary fire-fighters based on Slovenian programme and adopted to the needs of Serbian can also be mentioned.

It was presented that a systematic work with children and youth is of great importance for the development of the voluntary fire-fighting and a conclusion was the establishment of Youth Council and Council for Youth within Fire Association of Serbia would be necessary. They would develop and implement national programmed which would encourage and support the involvement and voluntarism of children and youth in the system of civil protection and disaster relief.

At the end of the visit in Slovenia Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia Andreja Katič and Mayor of Murska Sobota dr. Aleksander Jevšek expressed greetings to the guests.

The project takes place in the European Year for Development when special attention is given to the development aid.

Slovenija svetuje Srbiji na področju zaščite in reševanja

V okviru projekta mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja Republike Slovenije z Republiko Srbijo se je 3. oktobra zaključila konferenca za podporo razvoju ukrepanja v izrednih razmerah v Srbiji in razvoju vloge prostovoljnih reševalnih organizacij pri tem.

Na konferenci je sodelovalo 32 predstavnikov Ministrstva za notranje zadeve Republike Srbije in Gasilske zveze Srbije, k razpravam pa so poleg slovenskih predstavnikov Uprave Republike Slovenije za zaščito in reševanje in Gasilske zveze Slovenije prispevali tudi predstavniki Avstrije, Nemčije in Švice.

Skupen zaključek udeležencev je bil, da področje zaščite in reševanja zahteva celostno obravnavo in da je potrebno nadaljevati z reformami, ki vključujejo vse akterje, ki naj bi bili vključeni ob ukrepanju v izrednih razmerah.

Predvsem je ugotovljeno, da bi bilo potrebno v srbskem sistemu doseči aktivnejšo vključitev občin oziroma enot lokalne samouprave, vključno z vzpostavljanjem in krepitvijo organiziranega prostovoljstva, zato je predlog in zaključek konference bil, da se pospeši komunikacija Ministrstva za notranje zadeve Republike Srbije z župani občin na tem področju.

Poleg ključne vloge, ki jo imajo pri angažiranju obstoječih potencialov občine, je pomembno tudi ustrezno načrtovanje in priprava na naravne in druge nesreče, ki zajema oceno ogroženosti občine, načrt zaščite in reševanja, operativni gasilski načrt in načrt alarmiranja, kar sedaj manjka. Z načrtovanim novim srbskim Zakonom o izrednih razmerah bo k dejavnejšem vključevanju občin na tem področju prispevalo tudi vzpostavljanje funkcije občinskega menedžerja za zaščito in reševanje, ki bo kot strokovnjak lahko skrbel za razvoj področja zaščite in reševanja, vključno s krepitvijo prostovoljnih reševalnih služb občine. Pomembna je tudi priprava in sprejem podzakonskih aktov, ki bo zagotovila ustrezen pravni okvir za delovanje sistema.

V okviru zaključkov konference velja omeniti še predlog pilotnega projekta skupnega usposabljanja profesionalnih in prostovoljnih gasilcev, ki bi temeljil na slovenskem programu usposabljanja, prilagojenem potrebam Srbije, ki bi ga izvedli za srbske inštruktorje.

Izpostavljeno je bilo tudi, da je za razvoj prostovoljnega gasilstva bistvenega pomena sistematično delo z otroci in mladimi in zaključek je bil, da se Gasilski zvezi Srbije predlaga ustanovitev Mladinskega sveta in Sveta za mlade Gasilske zveze Srbije, ki bosta oblikovala in izvajala nacionalne programe za spodbujanje vključevanja otrok in mladih v sistem zaščite in reševanja.

Projekt se izvaja v Evropskem letu za razvoj, ko razvojni pomoči posvečamo prav posebno pozornost.