The activity of Yerevan Rescue Department of the MES in 2019 was summarized during the meeting held at the Municipality of Yerevan. Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan, the MES Minister Felix Tsolakyan, the head of Rescue Service Major General Vrezh Gabrielyan,other officials were present at the meeting.

The report made during the meeting referred to 10824 emergency situations happened in Yerevan last year. The year of 2019 outstood with a big number of fires.

Special attention was paid to the level of preparedness of the bodies of city governance, as well as to increasing the efficiency of population’s responding to alarm calls related to fires, domestic phone calls and other emergency situations. Tight cooperation of the MES with Yerevan Rescue Department in the field of civil defence and population’s defence in emergency situations by relevant departments of the Municipality of Yerevan, staffs of heads of administrative districts and municipal organizations was continued.

The “Passport of Yerevan” was prepared in cooperation with the Municipality and submitted to Mayor’s confirmation. Certain activities were carried out to work out the concept of “Complex Safety of Yerevan Population”. Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan highly appreciated the activity of fire and rescue services and assured that the populations’ security is a high priority task for the Municipality. The Mayor informed that within the frames of the agreement signed between Yerevan Municipality and the European Union a program of hazardous waste management will be implemented. The program aims to neutralize hazardous wastes. Hayk Marutyan also noted that this year it is planned to install 500 new elevators in Yerevan which is to be financed from the city budget.
Mayor also stressed that the city establishments are ready to assist the Rescue Department, and the water trucks and other machinery can be at the MES disposal any time needed. The MES Minister Felix Tsolakyan expressed gratitude to the employees for their difficult and responsible work outlined the problem of providing buildings with up-to-date anti-fire fire protection equipment and attached importance to the cooperation with the Municipality in this regard.

The actions aimed at the improvement of the facilities and improvement of fire and rescue services were presented during the meeting.
The head of the MES Rescue Service General Major Gabrielyan noted in his speech that of was the first time since the Soviet period the Government had disbursed AMD 1 milliard 170 million for renovation of the facilities of 32 fire and rescue squads and improvement of their working conditions. For the first time the rescuers have got 40-50% pay rise.

The director of Rescue Service expressed hope that due to joint efforts it will become possible to make Yerevan safer and more presentable.
For efficient activity in the field of protection of Yerevan population, prevention of emergency situation, elimination of possible consequences and proper organization of civil protection, the deputy head of Yerevan Rescue Department, Lieutenant Colonel Zaven Melkonyan was awarded with the title of Honorary Rescuer of Yerevan.
For high professional readiness and devoted service a number of employees of Yerevan Rescue Department of the MES and of Yerevan Municipality and administrative districts have been awarded with Yerevan Mayor’s and the MES honorary and thanksgiving diplomas.