As part of efforts to support the volunteer rescue movement, a new volunteer fire and rescue emergency point had been opened on August 5 in Aragatsavan village of Talin community of Aragatsotn Province, within the framework of the “Institutionalization of Volunteer First Response Service in the Republic of Armenia” (VOLFIRE) program. The program is implemented by the Armenian Red Cross Society with funding from the Austrian Development Agency and the Austrian Red Cross. 

The opening ceremony featured welcome speeches from r/s Colonel Artur Kirakosyan, Head of the Rescue Forces Department of the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tavros Sapeyan, Head of Talin community, and Sergey Sahakyan, Head of the Disaster Management Department of the Armenian Red Cross Society.

The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Rescue Service and Police, regional and local authorities, as well as international organizations.

The Rescue Service of the MIA played an active role in establishing the base, donating a fire truck to the community and organizing training sessions and qualification exams for the volunteers. Aragatsotn Regional Administration and Talin community also contributed to the initiative.

As part of the event, volunteers conducted a drill, demonstrating their professional skills and capabilities in firefighting operations.

Volunteer rescuers received official rescuer booklets and badges from the Rescue Forces Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The launch of the volunteer fire and rescue emergency point is a significant step in strengthening rapid response capacity during the early stages of emergencies by supporting professional rescue services.