Joint actions for fire fighting

The project aims at improvement the firefighting capabilities of municipalities Uzkup (Turkey) and Sungurlare (Bulgaria) and prevention and mitigation of the consequences of fires on their territory  through supplying new equipment in both municipalities and improving the capacity of the staff from both sides, responsible for firefighting.

Within the project it will be analyzed the risk of fires in the municipalities Sungurlare and Uzkup and it will be elaborated a guide on best practices for firefighting. The project envisages supply of firefighting equipment in both municipalities including highpowered trucks with mobile fireplatforms for fighting forest fires and elaboration of works design of firetowers for the municipality of Sungurlare.

The implementation of the project will contribute to improvement the reaction of the staff from both sides of the border in cases of fires through the skilles and knowledge acquired during the trainings and exchanging best practices.

Project status: Finished

The project partners have implemented the activities according to the schedule.

The main objective of the project is to improve the firefighting capacity of the partnering municipalities and to prevent and mitigate the consequences of fires that can affect their territory through supplying new equipment for the municipal administrations and improving the training of their staff responsible for firefighting.

For both municipalities which are located predominantly in forest areas, dealing with spontaneous fires is a serious problem. It endangers he life and health of citizens, as well as the economic activities and economic life of municipalities. Over half of the territory of the Municipality of Sungurlare is forests (over 393 000 ha from a total area of 790 000 ha). The Municipality of Üsküp although with smaller territory is also situated in a forest area but it also has a large industry zone that houses most of the factories in the district that can be severely affected by forest fires and can be the starting point of a fire spreading to the forest zones of the municipality.

Implemented investment activities aimed prevention and management of risks of fires, including awareness raising, civil protection and disaster management systems and infrastructures.

Specialized vehicles and the necessary equipment for firefighting activities are supplied under the as the most effective in the efforts of the institutions for disaster resilience. Project partners developed “Risk analysis of fire hazards in the municipalities of Üsküp and Sungurlare” and “Guide on best practices for firefighting”. Works design of fire towers for the municipality of Sungurlare was elaborated. Project activities improved capacity of 26 Turkish and Bulgarian municipal officials and volunteers in the field through 2 trainings and exchange visit of the citizens and local authorities of both municipalities.

The project implementation contributes to the sustainable development, prevention and management of climate related risks and especially of the fires, including awareness rising, civil protection and disaster management systems and firefighting infrastructures in the cross-border region.

Project materials:

Project materials are available HERE.

Project products:

Brochures with project results (English, Bulgarian and Turkish versions) are available HERE.

"Risk analysis of fire hazards in the municipalities of Üsküp and Sungurlare and guide on best practices for firefighting" (Bulgarian version) is available HERE.

Summary of the "Risk analysis of fire hazards in the municipalities of Üsküp and Sungurlare and guide on best practices for firefighting" (Turkish version) is available HERE.

Handbook elaborated for the Exchange visit held in Üsküp on 18-19 December 2018 is availabale HERE.

Presentations from the Exchange visit held in Üsküp on 18-19 December 2018 (Bulgarian and Turkish versions) are available HERE.

Presentation with project results from the Closing Press-conference held in Sungurlare on 12 March 2019 (Bulgarian version) is available HERE.