FIRE EXTINGUISHERS SOON TO BE INTRODUCED IN ROMA SETTLEMENTS IN SOUTH SERBIA

20. January 2016.

Nis – The Nis-based “Yurom Center” NGO will place fire extinguishers in 22 Roma settlements in ten municipalities in South Serbia (Zitoradja, Prokuplje, Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Lebane, Vladicin Han, Surdulica, Vranje and Bujanovac), said Osman Balic, the Director of the organization.

Mr. Balic said that the project was launched for the purpose of increasing the safety of the inhabitants of Roma settlements and educating them about the importance of fire safety.

He recalled that over the past few years there were a lot of casualties in fires in Roma settlements all over Serbia, among whom there were twelve children.

“Volunteer firefighters will be trained in Roma settlements by July, when the project should be completed. They will, thereupon, be integrated into volunteer firefighting associations, "said Mr. Balic.

Mr. Balic said that meetings at which a short film on the procedures to be used in case of fire would be shown in Roma settlements in the spring and that 10,000 leaflets on fire safety would be distributed.

Representatives of “Yurom Center” pointed out that the inhabitants of Roma settlements were mostly at risk from faulty electrical installations, improper storage of flammable waste and careless use of candles and open flames coming from solid-fuel furnaces.

Source: Jugmedia and Coordination Body