On September 4, the Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan attended a ceremonial event dedicated to the Rescuer’s Day at the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The event was attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its subordinate services, as well as Rescue Service personnel.

On the occasion of the professional holiday, Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan congratulated the personnel of the Rescue Service and expressed her gratitude for their courageous, selfless and dedicated work.

According to the Minister, efforts to modernize the Rescue Service are continuing, ranging from education and professional training to material and technical re-equipment. Arpine Sargsyan noted that the professional requirements imposed on service personnel must be accompanied by proper recognition and evaluation of their work. In this context, the Minister emphasized the attestation system as a mechanism through which the state evaluates the work of rescuers and provides them with appropriate social guarantees. According to her, hundreds of rescuers have already received such recognition and dignified remuneration.

Arpine Sargsyan also stressed the importance of the consistent modernization of the Rescue Service’s material and technical resources. According to her, alongside the upgrades conducted last year, re-equipment efforts must continue in order to ensure a modern service capable of responding to current challenges.

Addressing the improvement of the infrastructure of the service, Arpine Sargsyan noted the new building of Yeghegnadzor Fire and Rescue Squad will be commissioned in the near future. According to the Minister, each new building is not merely another piece of infrastructure, but also a reflection of the state recognition of the activities done by the rescuers.

Arpine Sargsyan emphasized the importance of the service’s continuous development in line with the demands of the times. She stressed evolving challenges and new approaches to disaster risk management require the professional training standards to be constantly reviewed as well. According to the Minister, the level of competence that was sufficient last year may no longer be sufficient today; therefore, service personnel must continuously develop their skills and capabilities.

Referring to technological developments and the impact of artificial intelligence on various professions, Arpine Sargsyan noted that technological changes may alter the demand for different professions, while the mission of the Rescue Service will remain irreplaceable. She emphasized both in Armenia and around the world, rescuers will continue to play a key role, while the primary objective will be to continuously improve the quality of services provided and the professional preparedness of personnel.

Arpine Sargsyan also expressed her special gratitude to the families of rescuers for standing by the service personnel, supporting them and helping ensure their ability to serve the citizens of the Republic of Armenia. She emphasized the families of rescuers also share the responsibility and emotional burden of their loved ones’ service within the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

For their high level of professional preparedness, conscientious performance of their official duties, and achievements recorded during their service, a number of Rescue Service personnel were awarded medals and received extraordinary promotions in rank.

The Minister Arpine Sargsyan Accompanied by the Director of RS-Deputy Minister of IA Aram Ghazaryan, toured the premises and familiarized herself with the fire and rescue equipment, as well as the specialized vehicles and machinery. The Minister was presented with the capabilities of the technical equipment and the specific features of its application during various rescue operations.

Arpine Sargsyan, Aram Ghazaryan and the leadership of the Ministry laid flowers at the memorial dedicated to rescuers who lost their lives while performing their official duties.
At the end of the event, the rescuers gave a demonstration performance.