Decorations for rescue workers

On the occasion of the Civil Protection Day, celebrated on Tuesday in Bucharest, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis awarded decorations to military, firefighters, medical staff and volunteers who took part in the international humanitarian mission in Turkey. Some of the rescue workers attended the ceremony together with their dogs, that helped them look for survivors. The resilience of people, infrastructure and state institutions will make the difference in case of disasters, Iohannis said on the occasion. He also mentioned that the negative effects of such events can be limited significantly if the prevention and coordinated reaction capacity is increased. He also said that civil protection is an important component of national security and that, in the last 10 years, Romania has made great efforts to purchase state-of-the-art equipment and ensure best training of workers in the field. 

Iohannis has hailed the results of the rescue mission in Turkey: “You are true models of solidarity, selflessness and empathy and for this reason I assure you, on behalf of all Romanians, of our full appreciation and respect for your courage and dedication, proven at every mission that you have, and for all the support you have granted to citizens in the most difficult of times. Romanians feel safe because you are here. “

The Civil Protection Week is under way in Romania until March 4th. Activities aimed at developing the preventive behaviour of citizens are being held during this period. Among them was, on Wednesday, a disaster alarm exercise warning people in case of emergencies such as flooding, spread of dangerous substances, damage to hydro-technical dams and accidents produced by the fall of objects from the atmosphere. The public alarm system can also be used during armed conflict. 

 Head of the Department for Emergencies, Raed Arafat, said people should not panic and that these exercises are needed to test this warning system: “The fact that we make simulations and trainings does not mean we expect something to happen tomorrow. It is our job to make these exercises. This is what civil protection does – it prepares people. Preparation, response and prevention are part of civil protection. This is what a strong civil protection means – being able to prevent, prepare, react promptly, rebuild.” 

The public alarm exercises are nothing new. Sirens have been tested on the first Wednesday of every month, ever since 2017, but the procedure was suspended during the coronavirus pandemic. (EE)