At the beginning of 2023, the laws were amended to streamline the procedure for the establishment and operation of local and volunteer fire brigades, to improve the social benefits for their employees and to define the basic guidelines of training for local fire brigade employees and members of volunteer fire brigades.
In urban areas that lack state fire and rescue units, local self-government bodies will, with the approval of the State Emergency Service, create local units independently. Maksym Tkach, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in the Donetsk oblast, told us about this.
“In addition to fire response, these fire and rescue units are to be involved in mitigating the impact of the emergency as well as emergency and rescue operation,” said Mr Tkach.
According to him, the Law provides for establishing fire and rescue units as either legal entities or as separate units. They are staffed with core and auxiliary personnel.
“The core personnel is putting out fires, carrying out emergency rescue and other emergency work. The auxiliary personnel ensures the day-to-day operation,” said the Head of the Regional Office.
Note that the core personnel is subject to mandatory medical examinations under personal insurance at the expense of the relevant health insurance companies of the municipality that established the unit. The core personnel of local fire brigades will be trained in the educational institutions of the State Emergency Service. Core employees who have not undergone appropriate training are not allowed to extinguish fires or carry out emergency rescue or other emergency work.
“The Law emphasises that municipalities can act in accordance with the Law of Ukraine ‘On Cooperation of Territorial Communities’ to ensure local fire protection. The authority to coordinate and control the activities of fire and rescue units rests with the local self-government bodies that established the units as well as the State Emergency Service,” said the Head of the Office
According to him, the Cabinet of Ministers should approve the Procedure for the establishment and operation of fire and rescue units shortly.