Montenegro Also Sending Aid to BiH

(Patria) - Minister of Internal Affairs in the Government of Montenegro Danilo Šaranović announced that Montenegrin rescuers will participate in rescue operations, following the catastrophic floods that have affected Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- Considering the submitted request for assistance, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in cooperation with municipal protection and rescue services and with the consent of the capital city, the capital Cetinje, the municipalities of Ulcinj, Bar, Budva, Kotor, Herceg Novi, Plužine, and Nikšić, and firefighters-rescuers, has expressed readiness to provide assistance.

The team consists of a component for search and rescue from rubble and a component of a high-capacity water pumping team, totaling 23 firefighters-rescuers, five members of the Red Cross of Montenegro, and four members of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, who form the management team - stated Šaranović.

As he added, the team is bringing appropriate equipment for search and rescue from rubble and two high-capacity water pumps.

Šaranović says that Montenegro is once again demonstrating its humane character.

- Five firefighters from Podgorica will depart for Bosnia and Herzegovina tomorrow to join the operation to mitigate the consequences of the catastrophic floods - said the acting commander of the Protection and Rescue Service of the capital city, Zdravko Blečić, to the ETV portal.

He emphasized that the Podgorica firefighters will stay to help their neighbors for as long as necessary.

- We were on standby from the first moment, our Service made itself available to our neighbors, but we had to follow the procedures of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Five of our officers should depart tomorrow, and I have requested that they be deployed where the situation is most difficult, because we are ready to respond to the task - emphasized Blečić.

As he added, replacements are also ready, should the Podgorica firefighters stay in BiH longer than five days.

- We sympathize with all those who have lost their loved ones and their property. We are ready at any time to help within our capabilities - said Blečić.

Members of the Cetinje Protection and Rescue Service, Filip Latković and Igor Jovićević, are also part of the team that will provide assistance to the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to firefighter-rescuer Filip Latković, the two of them are traveling to Podgorica tonight to join their colleagues in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the National Team of Montenegro, trained for action during natural disasters and crisis situations, and to help in mitigating the damage caused by the floods.

- Tonight we will sleep at the training center of the Directorate for Emergency Situations in Podgorica, from where we will depart for Bosnia tomorrow around 4:30 AM. We will stay there indefinitely - Latković told Radio Cetinje.

Four firefighters from Bar will depart for BiH: commander Aco Vulević, along with Dragan Radanović, Ivan Nikolić, and Balša Budimić, as announced by the Municipality of Bar.

- With the help of modern equipment, high-capacity water pumps, and other specialized equipment, they will come to the aid of their colleagues from BiH in mitigating the consequences of the floods.

This solidarity action once again shows the dedication and courage of our firefighters in providing support and assistance to those who need it most - they state in the announcement.

(N. Kovačević)