Romania on Tuesday dispatched a second contingent of firefighters to boost up efforts to fight wildfires affecting the Attica region of Greece.

„Following the activation of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, the Romanian government has decided to add 44 Romanian firefighters and four vehicles to the crews already operatingin Greece. This is a confirmation of international solidarity and support amidst a major crisis caused by the large-scale wildfires affecting the host country,” according to Romania’s General Emergency Management Inspectorate (IGSU).

The Emergency Management Department (DSU) through IGSU, in its capacity as national contact point, has received from the European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) a request from Greece for international assistance, in view of the emergency generated by wildfires on its soil.

„After consulting with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu convened, on Monday, in a hybrid system, the National Emergency Management Committee, at the proposal of the DSU,” the quoted source shows.

As many as 40 firefighters and two fire extinguishing and rapid response vehicles are moving by air, with support from two aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Force with the Ministry of National Defence, and another two forest fire extinguishing machines, of 3,000 liters, and four rescuers have started the dispatch by land.

These additional resources are intended to improve the teams’ ability to control and extinguish the fires that continue to affect the Attica region, thus helping to protect local communities.

„The rapid mobilisation of Romanian firefighters underlines Romania’s commitment to providing prompt aid in emergencies within the framework of international cooperation for disaster management,” the IGSU said.

Between August 1 and September 15, DSU, through IGSU, participates with the specialised national forest fire extinguishing module in the pre-positioning programme organised by the European Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations – DG ECHO, in order to strengthen the resilience of Greece in managing this type of risk.

AGERPRES