Özgür Ferhat visits Gümülcine Fire Service
During the working meeting, officials discussed the functioning and operational readiness of the Gümülcine Fire Service, with staff shortages emerging as a key concern.
The meeting highlighted the department’s significant human resources needs, particularly as Rhodope faces growing demands in civil protection and wildfire response. The participants stressed the need to strengthen the service’s staffing capacity so it can respond more effectively to emergencies across the region.
Staffing shortage highlighted
Ferhat thanked Director Athanasios Strantzalis and the firefighters for their briefing and for their dedicated work, particularly during the wildfire season.
The MP said strengthening the Fire Service with the personnel it needs should be an urgent priority. He added that the issue would be raised at the parliamentary level as part of efforts to strengthen wildfire response and civil protection capacity in Rhodope.
Ferhat also emphasized that protecting human life, residents’ property and Rhodope’s natural environment requires well-equipped public services with adequate staffing.
He stressed that the state must provide fire and civil protection services with the necessary resources and working conditions to carry out their duties effectively.
The visit focused particularly on addressing staffing shortages and strengthening Rhodope’s capacity to respond to wildfires and other civil protection emergencies.
