Members of the Herceg Novi Protection and Rescue Service participated in a workshop held on 10th December in Budva on “Seismic Risk Reduction”. During the workshop, participants highlighted the significance of carrying out preventive measures for protection and rescue in the event of an earthquake, establishing municipal and enterprise plans on protection and rescue during such events, developing disaster risk assessments, and the importance of awareness-raising and education among the public, including children, on seismic and other disaster risk reduction. They also raised the importance of implementing a cross-curricular programme on “Education in Disaster Risk Reduction”, professional training and upskilling of participants in the protection and rescue system, as well as procurement of suitable equipment.
Herceg Novi’s Protection and Rescue Service presented its Municipal Plan for Earthquake Protection and Rescue. The presentation was made by the author of the plan and independent consultant Zoran Gamber, and is the first municipal plan of its kind developed in Montenegro. Participants in the workshop also included firefighters Aleksandar Mandić and Radoje Mićunović.
Participants at the workshop specifically highlighted the importance of establishing a national protection and rescue training centre. Representatives of Bar, Budva, Kotor, Tivat and Ulcinj municipalities took part in the event, alongside health and education institutions, Budva Tourism Organisation, power supplier representatives, volunteer fire brigades, and the Emergencies Directorate of the Interior Ministry, who all had the opportunity to exchange information, knowledge, experiences, good practice and lessons learned in reducing seismic risk.
The workshop, organised by the Emergencies Directorate of the Interior Ministry, was held within the project entitled “3 WATCH OUT - a trilateral model of civil protection: ways, tools and challenges for our safety”, funded by the European Union under the IPA INTERREG Cross-Border Cooperation Programme for Montenegro, Albania and Italy.
