Polish Government-UNDP partnership helps Lezha Municipality be better prepared to cope with disasters

30 personal protective equipment handed over to the Lezha Firefighting Departments thanks to funding from the Government of Poland.

A ceremony was organized in Lezha today to handover thirty personal protective equipment to the firefighters operating within the municipality. The equipment will come to aid the firefighters to save lives, livelihoods, and sustain development gains.
In the course of the project, Lezha as one of the most earthquake-affected municipalities, will also be supported with one Fire Truck for urban and forest fires, the construction of the Fire Station and one Urban Search and Rescue Container with needed tools and equipment.
The assistance is provided in the context of “Strengthening Capacities of Albania’s Fire Protection and Rescue Service” funded by the Government of Poland through the SDG Acceleration Fund and implemented by UNDP in partnership with Fire Protection and Rescue Services at the Ministry of Interior.
The Post Disaster Needs Assessment which was drafted following the 2019 earthquake that hit Albania indicated that there is a need to strengthen disaster preparedness, adopt adequate rescue and response systems and procedures, and improve the capacity of firefighting services to become functional across the government.
The project supports the efforts of the Albanian Government to strengthen the Albanian Fire Protection and Rescue Service in ten municipalities: Tirana, Durrës, Lezha, Kurbin, Kruja, Shijak, Kamza, Kavaja, Fier and Pogradec. Those municipalities are the most affected by the earthquake and face challenges when it comes to firefighting infrastructure. Other project interventions include building of three firefighting stations, procurement of three fire trucks, procurement of three USAR containers as well as the purchase of 169 sets of PPEs for the firefighters in those

municipalities. The project interventions also include capacity-building training for beneficiary municipalities exposed to multiple vulnerabilities and hazards.

The Mayor of Lezha Pjerin Ndreu, underlined: “Project interventions will be undertaken in coordination with and complement other ongoing or future efforts in the framework of development of the Disaster Risk Reduction national policies and plans, the strengthening of the decentralization and local governance reform and the overall capacity building efforts for improving the quality of local services and mandates of the local governments.”

The Ambassador of Poland to Albania Monika Zuchniak-Pazdan said: “This project is an expression of friendship and solidarity with Albania, as well as proof of Poland's continued support for the European aspirations of the Western Balkans. Through this project, we want to lay another foundation to support the Albanian Government by strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction and Response Preparedness.”

“I would like to hail our partnership with the Government of Poland for this support which aims strengthen the capacities of Albanian Fire Protection and Rescue Service, saving lives, properties and improving the security, efficiency, and work conditions of the firefighters”- said Monica Merino, UNDP Resident Representative in Albania present at the event.