Russia
Russia needs a million volunteer firefighters - emergencies chief
Topic: Wildfires in Russia in 2010
Russia needs a million volunteer firefighters
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Russia should have as many as a million volunteer firefighters and needs a law to make sure they are well-equipped, the emergency situations minister said on NTV on Sunday.
Sergei Shoigu said that Russia's 250,000 professional firefighters were not enough for a country of 144 million people covering more than a tenth of the Earth's land surface.
"We need an 800,000-, 1 million-volunteer fire department. But we would like it to be a service based on professionalism, so that these people are trained, so that they are well equipped," the minister said.
Thousands of volunteers helped firefighters and soldiers this summer as Russia battled hundreds of wildfires amid an unprecedented heat wave and two months of drought.
"We hope that the law on a volunteer fire service will be enacted this year. Under this law we will provide certain benefits. I hope that the lawmakers approve them, and that the Finance Ministry and the Economy Ministry do not dilute them," Shoigu said.
The deputy head of Russia's volunteer firefighters, Konstantin Belousov, has said that the quasi-legal work of volunteers hides the flaws in Russian law regarding fire safety and volunteering.
He said that the draft law put forward by the emergencies ministry would help resolve the legal contradictions and allow volunteer firefighters to do more.
MOSCOW, August 29 (RIA Novosti)
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- arnoldvinette@yahoo.comI only wish that I could do more for the Russian communities01:43, 30/08/2010I only wish that I could do more for the Russian communities
A request to have the Canadian Government assist up to 500 Russian Communities with a $100 million joint Russia-Canada Art Album eBook project to last for a period of 6 years and provide $50 million directly to 500 Russian schools affected by the wildfires is still under discussion in the Canadian Parliament. When a decision will be made is unknown.
$100,000 would be allocated to each of the 500 Russian schools supporting art programs and building the kids new playgrounds.
The artwork produced by the Russian kids once the project is approved will be on three main themes.
1) What do the kids love about their community?
2) What do the kids love about their city?
3) What do the kids love about their country of Russia?
4) Draw it! Color it! Paint it!
The artwork is to be assembled into a series of “Russian Kids Art Album eBooks” to be distributed at both Canadian and American schools. The purpose of this project is to better educate North American kids about modern Russia and the Russian people. (Customs, lifestyle, history, etc)
The project will employee 1,025 Canadians for 6 years in the Ottawa / Gatineau area.
Russian versions of the “Russian Kids Art Album eBooks” will also be created for distribution in Russia both in the schools and as tourism items.
By helping the Russian communities, Canadian and American kids get to learn about modern Russia and what a neat country it is.
The “Russian Kids Art Album eBook Project” will be the precursor for a future “Canadian Kids Art Album eBooks” and an “American Kids Art Album eBooks”
Arnold Vinette
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