Skopje, 3 August 2021 (MIA) – The entire crisis management system needs to be reformed from the ground up, Crisis Management Center (CMC) head Stojanche Angelov said Tuesday. Firefighting equipment in most brigades is outdated, he said adding that a lot of work lies ahead. “The firefighting protection segment is decentralized. The firefighting units don’t have a central command. I have to talk to the mayors before they talk to firefighting brigade commanders. In the future, we plan to establish one point – all units to be activated after one phone call,” Angelov told a news conference. The system, he added, has been like this for decades, which is why the government and the CMC are committed to reforming it. Angelov announced that 112, the single European emergency number, will be launched in December at the latest. Also, he said that efforts are underway for the project so called “Medicopter”. “The country has to has at least one medicopter at disposal 24/7. But it involves complicates reforms. EU accession paves the way for us to apply for funds that could help us procure such expensive equipment,” Angelov said. The CMC, he noted, has no authority to procure equipment or to initiate buying. “The Protection and Rescue Directorate has some of the equipment, while most of it is managed by the mayors. They are the ones in charge of buying new firefighting equipment,” Angelov said adding that the Center is focused on several reforms at the moment.