The fire services of Nienburg and Vitebsk intend to develop cooperation in the youth sphere
The fire departments of Nienburg, Germany, and Vitebsk, Belarus, intend to develop cooperation in the youth sector. This was announced by the head of the Nienburg (Weser) fire department, Stefan Ottens, who was in Belarus as part of a German delegation on a friendly visit.
"The partnership between our fire services has been in place for 20 years and continues to develop in various areas. Now we are more focused on youth. Therefore, the meeting with representatives of your youth organization (BRSM) was interesting. The young people had many questions about our work, and they also talked about what their organization does at all levels: from local groups to consolidated structures," explained Stefan Ottens. Incidentally, for 10 years now, a tent camp has been organized in Nienburg every summer, bringing together young rescuer-firefighters from both cities, and this example serves as a starting point for deepening cooperation.
During the visit, a working meeting was also held at the Vitebsk Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, during which the improvement of preventive work by rescuer-firefighters, interaction between colleagues from the two countries, and issues of the effectiveness of voluntary fire brigades were discussed. "In Belarus, the main work of extinguishing fires and ensuring safety falls on the shoulders of professionals. Voluntary fire brigades also exist, but perhaps it is worth activating their organization in small settlements, as is done in Germany," suggested Stefan Ottens.
In addition, the guest noted the technical equipment of his Vitebsk colleagues. According to him, when the delegation members visited the "Naftan" association, they noticed that the equipment used by the local fire department is the same, if not better, than that of the Germans.
A delegation from Nienburg paid a friendly visit to Belarus at the end of August. It included representatives of the city administration headed by the vice-mayor, businessmen, and firefighters. The guests visited Polotsk, Novopolotsk, Liozno, Lepel, Vitebsk, Minsk, and Zhodino, where they visited the BelAZ plant.
Ekaterina Knyazeva, BELTA.