TİKA Provided Advanced Firefighting Training to Georgian Firefighters

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and the Fire Department of Konya Metropolitan Municipality held the “Advanced Firefighting Training” for Georgian firefighters.

As part of TİKA’s “Emergency and Disaster Response Training Program (ADAMEP),” the 12-day “Advanced Firefighting Training” was held for 16 Georgian firefighters at the Fire Department Training Center of Konya Metropolitan Municipality (KİTEM) in cooperation with Konya Metropolitan Municipality, as a training module subsequent and complementary to the “Basic Firefighting Training,” held in Georgia from June 6 to 12, 2022.

After advanced theoretical and applied training on fire response, search and rescue, response to traffic accidents, first aid, and occupational safety, the trainees participated in an international exercise with the staff of the Konya Fire Department on the occasion of the Fire Prevention Week. Certificates were presented to the trainees after the exercise.

The exercise and the certificate presentation ceremony were attended by Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya; Dr. Onur Yaşar, a specialist at TİKA; and high-ranking representatives of the public and private sectors and non-governmental organizations in Konya.

At the ceremony, Beka Daudashvili, Managing Director of the Fire-Rescue Forces Management Department of Georgia, delivered a speech on behalf of Georgian firefighters, stated that they were pleased with the training program, and thanked TİKA and Konya Metropolitan Municipality.

Dr. Onur Yaşar, a specialist at TİKA, noted that Türkiye shares its experience in a wide range of fields, including health, renewable energy, tourism, and search and rescue training, with its geography of hearts through the programs and modules developed by TİKA’s Training Projects Coordination Unit, established in 2016. Yaşar stated that they have conducted firefighting training programs in 7 different countries in cooperation with the Fire Department of Konya Metropolitan Municipality, and thanked the Mayor of Konya and others who supported and collaborated on these projects, which aimed to directly touch and save lives.

Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya, started his speech by wishing everyone a happy Fire Prevention Week. He said, “At the International Fire Training Center, we share our knowledge and experience with foreign guests and firefighters, in cooperation with TİKA. We have so far achieved great success as a result of these efforts. We hope that we will improve the coordination between these institutions and continue to share our knowledge and experience with the fire departments of other countries.”

Some other occupational groups will also be given theoretical and applied training as part of ADAMEP, which aims to improve the human resources capacity of partner countries to respond to disasters and emergencies.