Prime Minister Rama Discusses Strengthening Civil Emergency Response and Fire Protection

During a special meeting focused on analyzing measures and strengthening capacities for handling civil emergencies, Prime Minister Edi Rama stressed the importance of coordinated institutional action, improved fire protection, and the participation of civil services and communities in this process.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Armed Forces, State Police, fire services, and local authorities, as well as Minister of Defense Pirro Vengu, Minister of the Interior Albana Koçiu, and Minister of State for Local Government Ervin Demo.
“We are morally and legally committed to fulfilling our obligations to all citizens who have lost their homes or livestock. They will be compensated down to the last cent once the normative act is approved by the government,” Prime Minister Rama stated in his address.
He also announced that the government will adopt a new insurance law to protect homes and businesses against natural disasters, noting that Albania is one of the few European countries without such a protection scheme.
One of the key discussion points was paying more attention to the firefighting service.
“Firefighters will be included in the salary increase formula applied to the Armed Forces. We owe them a debt that we cannot allow to grow,” Rama said.
He emphasized that fighting fires is now a year-round challenge due to climate change and intentional arson. To address this issue, he announced new measures in the Penal Code.
The Prime Minister announced plans to expand the drone fleet to include thermal cameras for forest monitoring and seeding drones for reforestation in fire-affected areas. The government will also strengthen the aerial firefighting fleet by adding new aircraft.
“We are establishing a national network of integrated control centers with early warning systems to enable rapid field intervention. We must be ready today, not tomorrow,” he emphasized.