Three new firefighting vehicles will soon be added to the fleet of the Kumanovo Territorial Firefighting Unit as a donation through the cooperation between the Municipality of Kumanovo and the Austrian province of Tyrol.
The announcement was made by Kumanovo Mayor Maksim Dimitrievski, who said that representatives of the Territorial Firefighting Unit and the Volunteer Firefighting Association recently took part in a five-day training program in Tyrol.
The training focused on wildfire response and high-angle rescue operations, providing firefighters with practical knowledge and skills that will be shared with other members of the unit.
Participants also had the opportunity to learn first-hand about Austria’s firefighting system and the role of volunteer firefighting organizations.
The donation of the three vehicles represents a continuation of the cooperation that Kumanovo has been developing with Austrian partners in recent years.
Last year, the municipality received a modern firefighting vehicle equipped with a rescue basket and a 32-metre hydraulic ladder, also donated by Tyrol. The vehicle is intended for interventions in high-rise buildings, rescue operations at height and firefighting in taller structures.
At the time, municipal officials stated that Kumanovo had been selected as one of the municipalities in the country where reforms of the firefighting system, based on the Austrian model, would be implemented, with a particular focus on volunteer firefighting associations and strengthening firefighting capacities.
As early as July last year, officials announced that additional firefighting vehicles would be donated to Kumanovo, a commitment that is now being fulfilled with the latest donation of three vehicles.
Local authorities expect the new equipment and training programs to further improve the preparedness of Kumanovo firefighters for fires and other emergencies, particularly ahead of the summer season when the risk of wildfires significantly increases.