Joint development of the voluntary emergency response and disaster management capacity in the eligible border area (Q4298888)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Project Q4298888 in Romania, Hungary
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Joint development of the voluntary emergency response and disaster management capacity in the eligible border area |
Project Q4298888 in Romania, Hungary |
Statements
1,195,411.95 Euro
0 references
1,406,367.0 Euro
0 references
85.0 percent
0 references
1 April 2018
0 references
30 September 2020
0 references
Association for Business Promotion in Romania
0 references
47°40'7.90"N, 21°30'46.94"E
0 references
47°18'5.44"N, 22°0'2.56"E
0 references
47°17'57.59"N, 22°0'0.14"E
0 references
VOLUNTEER project is an initiative of an NGO active in vocational training (Association for Business Promotion in Romania), a municipality hosting a voluntary emergency situation service (Diosig) and an associaton of voluntary firefighters (Hajdu BIhar County Firefighter Federation). With this project, the partners aim to increase the capacity and preparedness of the voluntary emergency intervention units from Bihor and Hajdu Bihar counties, enhancing the quality of the overall emergency response system in the programme area. This system consists of a professional and voluntary branch. The professional firefighter units are distributed throughout the territory of the two counties, being deployed especially in urban centers. The rural communities, which represent large part of the territory and population of the two counties, are mainly relying on voluntary firefighter brigades. In 2016 in Bihor county, almost 3000 persons were registered at the voluntary emergency situation services out of which 49 were employed in coordination or driver positions, while Hajdu Bihar county had 300 voluntary firefighters. Currently, the voluntary units participate in interventions on their own or, in more complex cases, as support to professional units. During 2016, in Bihor county the voluntary services intervened in 544 cases (mainly vegetation or smaller domestic fires) and solved 216 of them on their own. These numbers clearly show that both counties have an extensive network of voluntary units, but the quantity and quality of available equipment and professional knowledge and skills is very heterogenous. This has a major negative impact on the capacity and preparedness of voluntary units to intervene. The development of competences and skills is a long process which requires specialized knowledge, upgraded equipment, practical training as well as regular and dedicated engagement. Currently, the professional units train the personnel from the voluntary units, but the system does not provide the facilities for practical training nor does it cover all the volunteers. For example, between 2014 and 2016, in Bihor county, out of 3000 persons involved in voluntary firefighting units 112 persons were trained in preventive actions. The VOLUNTEER project recognizes that a large number of individuals involved in voluntary firefighting units does not posses a solid professional bacgkround. It is a challenge which will be tackled through a range of carefuly devised interconnected activities within the framework of a dedicated training program aiming to reach the specific objective of developing the competences and skills of the voluntary firefighters from Bihor and Hajdu Bihar. The level of organization of the voluntary emergency situation units also varies. While on the Hungarian side there is a stronger aggregation under the umbrella of professional associations grouped in a union (HBMTSZ), on the Romanian side the voluntary emergency situation services are operating as part of the local municipalities, with little or no interaction with their peers. The existence of local "champion" units (as Popesti in Bihor, or Kaba in Hajdu Bihar) along with units with a very limited visibility reflects the differences in the level of internal organization. Moreover, the cross-border professional cooperation initiatives are almost non-existent, while a few established contacts are a result of personal relationships. Therefore, the potential of cross-border cooperation (as exchange of experience, transfer of know-how, even joint interventions) is unexploited. The project is tackling this challenge through a dedicated specific objective, aiming to generate and maintain a cross-border cooperation mechanism between the voluntary firefighters in two counties. Limited intervention capacity and weak organizational structures of the voluntary firefighting units resulted in decline of their visibility within the local communities. The lack of awareness about this vocation is an obstacle in ensuring the human resource needed for the operation of the voluntary units. Nevertheless, voluntary firefighting represents a very important resource for the modern society, for a plethora of reasons: - professionally: in line with the principle of subsidiarity, the voluntary firefighting can complement the professional services, improving thus the capacity and efficiency of the overall emergency response system - socially: volunteering is awakening and enlivening the community spirit, increasing the social cohesion and responsibility, generating solidarity among individuals - personally: volunteering is a morally rewarding activity - economically: due to its voluntary character, this service is saving financial resources For those reasons, the project sets as a third specific objective the increase of the visibility and awareness of the voluntary firefighting and the revival of the prestige of this noble vocation. The project will achieve the specific objectives th (English)
0 references