ZAGREB, June 2, 2019 – State civil protection units demonstrated in Zagreb on Sunday their skills and equipment for rescuing citizens after a devastating earthquake, with Interior Minister Davor Božinović saying Croatia’s civil protection was among the best in Europe.
About 40 search and rescue team members held demonstration exercises as they did in a big international exercise in Portugal in which they participated last week with teams from France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, and Portugal.
Božinović said the Portugal exercise showed Croatia “has people who train on a daily basis at national and international level” and that its civil protection teams were among the best in Europe.
He said the civil protection system was integrated at national level this year in terms of regulations, adding that successful absorption of EU funds had raised Croatian teams’ readiness.
Croatia has modules for protection and rescue from rubble, for radiological-biological-chemical-nuclear action, and for water rescue.
Božinović said the system would be upgraded on a daily basis as the EU plans to triple safety funds and quadruple them for protection and rescue in the next multi-annual budget.
“We have made serious steps forward in manpower and now we will provide them with the best conditions they can have,” he said, adding that a new civil protection bill would soon be put to public consultation.
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