The Ministry of the Interior received extraordinary funding from the Government for emergency units (IZS) that responded to the fire in Hřensko. Photo Credit: Hasičský záchranný sbor ČR.
Czech Republic, Sept. 25 (BD) – The government approved extraordinary funds following the fire intervention in Hřensko. The money is needed to cover the costs of the intervention, operating expenses, salaries and overtime pay for the firefighters and police officers involved, and subsidies for the foundation of the volunteer fire brigade.
More than 6300 professional and volunteer firefighters and 92 members of the air police responded continuously for 21 days to the largest forest fire in the history of the Czech Republic. Last week, the Ministry of the Interior received CZK 225,308,250 from the Government to cover the costs, including CZK 50 million in bonuses for the forces, mainly firefighters and police officers, as well as subsidies for volunteer firefighters.
“The fire in Hřensko was unprecedented in our country in terms of size, equipment used and deployment of firefighters and police officers. I am fully aware of the extraordinary commitment of the emergency services, which is why we decided to compensate with extraordinary funds,” said Interior Minister Vít Rakušan. The forces of the Integrated Rescue System were fighting the fire over an area of 1,100 hectares and used over 400 pieces of equipment, including aircraft.
The Ministry of the Interior and the Fire and Rescue Service will use CZK 68 million of the amount to subsidise the volunteer fire brigade units that participated in the intervention through their units. Compensation for extraordinary expenses in the form of a subsidy will compensate for loss of earnings and wages. The subsidy, which will be announced by the General Directorate of the Fire Brigade and Rescue Service, will also be used to pay bonuses. It will be the municipalities that will have to apply for the subsidy.
In addition, the Ústí nad Labem Region will receive CZK 6 million to cover its own expenses, in particular for the accommodation of the fire brigade or to ensure the activities of the headquarters, and CZK 1.65 million will go to the Fire and Rescue Service in the capital Ústí nad Labem. The State Administration of Material Reserves will pay CZK 137,700 for the repair of property used by the fire brigade during the intervention.
