Skopje, 20 May 2024 (MIA) - The Fire Brigade of the City of Skopje marked Macedonian Firefighters Day at an event Monday addressed by Skopje Mayor Danela Arsovska, and the commander of the Skopje Fire Brigade, Dzvonko Tomevski.

At the event, Arsovska highlighted the bad conditions that the firefighters are working in and urged the new government to change the way firefighters are being paid as well as the harmonization of criteria for the procurement of firefighting equipment with the international standards.

“There needs to be a change to the conditions based on which our firefighters are being paid. They are limited and the funds they receive as compensation for their work are really low,” Arsovska said, adding the firefighters at the Skopje Fire Brigade have been unable to receive new uniforms for fifteen years due to bureaucratic procedures. 

In his address, the commander of the Skopje Fire Brigade, Tomevski, pointed to the challenges faced by firefighters and thanked them for their work in conditions which, he said, “are not at the highest level”.

“The Fire Brigade numbers 180 firefighters, out of 384 planned, who carry out their tasks and respond to the needs of the citizens of Skopje every day. Since last year’s observance on May 20, the Fire Brigade has registered over 2000 successful interventions, thanks to the sacrifices made by the staff. I want to thank my colleagues who, despite being understaffed and with insufficient equipment, are successful in their work,” Tomevski said. 

Photo: MIA