2.7 bln RON EU funds grant for "Vision 2020" project regarding rapid reaction to disasters

The government has approved, by a decision, the substantiation note regarding spending relating to the investment project "Vision 2020", worth over 3 billion RON (around 681 million euro), of which 84.4 pct (around 2.7 billion RON) are European grants, the project focusing on "increasing the preparedness level for a rapid and efficient reaction to disasters of intervention crews," said minister of Internal Affairs Marcel Vela. "Included are the acquisition of: 60 extrication vehicles, 49 containers with personal protective equipment, 63 trucks with hydraulic loading-unloading system, 276 fire trucks with water and foam, 33 communication centers for mid-sized mobile command points. 18 flatbed trucks, 42 vehicles for first responders for working with high pressure water and hydroperforation, one multirole ship, three multirole boats and one national center for disaster response where all those working in the domain will have an operational command center at the level of Bucharest," minister Marcel Vela said, on Thursday, at the end of the Government sitting. He added that from the same sum will be purchased 12 helicopters, namely "6 light helicopters in the acquisition and delivery stage" and "6 medium and heavy helicopters for use on land and the maritime area, which are presently in the competitive negotiation procedure". The minister of Internal Affairs emphasized the necessity to be prepared to efficiently and operatively respond in all situations of crisis, of calamity or whenever there is the need to protect life and the goods of citizens, thus the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations and the General Inspectorate for Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be as best equipped as possible in order to face any challenge.AGERPRES(RO - author: Daniel Florea, editor: Karina Olteanu; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Maria Voican)