Threatened to Define Fire Status

The failure to define management competencies between local government and central power is being assessed as the reason the fire service has remained in a poor state, without investment and low budgets.

The head of the Kosovo Fireworkers' Association, Muharrem Beka, says firefighters have remained in poor condition, with small budgets and extremely old-fashioned work equipment. The reason for this situation says it is the lack of definition of status, as it states that municipalities and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are not offering solutions for their problems, but are just blaming each other.

This is very important for us, at least have an address, at least know who is competent, who is responsible, we need to know who is an employer. Not in this situation that this dualism was created between the local and central levels, each blaming each other. This is pointless and this is lasting for years, decades. I think it's the end of this situation here, which is, in fact, I thank all firefighters, have shown an extraordinary will to work, all other services are more advanced, all services have the best conditions yet firemen haven't created situations, every time they've been rational in demands”, says Beka.

In addition to defining the status, Beka says firefighters also seek compensation for the night shift, for holidays and overtime.

Vetevendosje Movement MP Enver Dugolli, who is also part of the Commission for Security and Defence Affairs, says the issue of fire status will be addressed with priority even under the commission.

It is true that the fire department is a threat to ours, to the largest parliamentary group, but also to the Commission for Security and Protection. We have raised it as a concern, we are confident that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will address it, we are awaiting a draft law that will also regulate the competencies and field of the Agency for Emergency Management, in which the firefighters are part. They really have an undefinated status because there is some responsibility for the Communists, somewhere in the Agency, so a total non-coordination and causes major obstacles to the operation of this organization... We've had the Minister of Internal Affairs report and we're interested in this case, he has promised that he's working on this draft law and very soon we're waiting, I don't know where the procedures are, we expect them to come to the commission and treat him with priority”, Dugolli says.

Critics of the government's failure to resolve the status of firefighters are opposition parties, part of the Security and Defence Affairs Commission.