The draft state budget law provides for the provision of 60 million euros for the purchase of a leasing of helicopters for firefighting and rescue, announced Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. A draft amendment to the Civil Aviation Act has been submitted to the National Assembly, which also provides for organizational measures.
Lyuben Ivanov from "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria“ asked about the government's overall policy for prevention and reaction to forest and field fires and the need for legislative changes to build a sustainable national capacity for fire protection and aerial firefighting.
Zhelyazkov pointed out that he had instructed the Security Council to the Council of Ministers to develop a system with data from all departments, including image information, which would aggregate data in real time and serve for planning.
The technical capacity of the fire department is increasing. Contracts have been concluded for the delivery of specialized equipment, including fire trucks, unmanned aerial vehicles, rescue vehicles, extinguishing systems, satellite systems and personal protective equipment.
The Air Force has the necessary equipment - helicopters and the „Spartan“ aircraft.
The forest areas affected by fires are fewer than before. The General Directorate "Fire Safety and Population Protection" monitors satellite data for forest fires for coordination.