A first contingent of Romanian firefighters has begun its deployment to France to help tackle forest fires during the peak summer season under a European Union-supported pre-positioning program. The month-long mission aims to strengthen France's wildfire response capacity and improve cooperation between European emergency services.

Romania's Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), through the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), is taking part in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism's pre-positioning program from July 1 to 31. The initiative, coordinated by the European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), is designed to reduce response times to wildfires in countries at high risk during the summer.

The first Romanian contingent, consisting of 40 firefighters, departed on June 28 and will operate in France until mid-July, when it will be replaced by a second team of 40 personnel, DSU said.

The module is equipped with three forest fire engines with 3,000-liter water tanks, a 30,000-liter water tanker, a 10,000-liter high-capacity fire engine, a command vehicle, a drone, a shortwave radio vehicle, a minibus, and a logistics support container.

Romanian crews will carry out wildfire monitoring and firefighting missions in areas designated by the French authorities, depending on operational needs, DSU explained. The contingent may be reinforced with additional personnel and equipment if requested through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The assistance program is financed by the European Union and was introduced following the severe wildfires that affected France in recent years.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Departamentul pentru Situaţii de Urgenţă)