The legislative body adopted in the first reading amendments and supplements to a number of legal acts to create the legal framework that will regulate the activity of local rescuer and firefighter posts. Deputy Minister of the Interior Oleg Babin said in Parliament that Moldova now has 60% of the necessary rescue and firefighting staff and the amendment of the legislation will enable to involve volunteers, IPN reports.

The local public authorities will set up local rescuer and firefighter posts, in cooperation with the Civil Protection and Emergencies Service, and will approve regulations for their organization and functioning, based on a standard regulation agreed by the Government. The local authorities will also agree the financial resources needed to organize and maintain these posts.

In this regard, the MPs expressed their skepticism about the local public authorities’ possibilities of financially supporting the local units and proposed that these should be financed with the funds of the Ministry of the Interior. In another development, the deputy minister said the bill does not impose new responsibilities on the local public authorities, but only legalizes existing duties.

The local rescuer and firefighter posts will be public institutions that will deal with fires and will considerably reduce the intervention time. Now there are communities located 50-60 km from the closest firefighter units.