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First Best Practice Fair in Municipal Disaster Management

Local First Responders Exchange Information at the First Best Practice Fair in Municipal Disaster Management, Kruševac

Kruševac Mayor Dragan Azdejković

Over 150 municipal emergency preparedness practitioners, representatives of local government and other local actors from USAID's Contingency Planning and Economic Security program took part in a two-day Best Practice Fair in Municipal Disaster Management Fair, the first exchange of experiences and practices in local level planning to respond to natural disasters. The fair was hosted by the Kruševac municipality from November 6th to the 7th, 2007, and was organized together with the USAID Program. Municipal officials, first responders and other local actors from 14 municipalities included in the program focused on their communities' plans to cope with floods, industrial accidents, landslides, transport of hazardous materials and others risks. "Of all the services that are provided to citizens at the local level, none is as important as providing emergency response services," said Mr. Michael. Pillsbury, Program Director, at the opening of the event.

Municipal disaster management teams participating in the fair have historically had to cope with a range of natural disasters and manmade crises in their communities, ranging from earthquakes to floods to chemical accidents. There have been few opportunities within the past 20 years for municipal responders to develop their knowledge and skills, learn from and share experiences with each other. Participants in the Preparedness and Planning Program welcomed this USAID initiative to promote local and national disaster management policy and coordination.

USAID Supports Tourism and Investment Potential of Prijepolje

USAID Supports Tourism and Investment Potential of Prijepolje

Serbia’s most famous basketball player, NBA star Vlade Divac, celebrated his official retirement from basketball in his hometown of Prijepolje on 23 September 2007. The three-day event started in Belgrade and ended at the Culture House square in Prijepolje. Divac’s “final score” was witnessed by some 8000 hometown residents, guests and friends from Serbia and abroad, and NBA stars who traveled to Serbia with Divac for the celebration. This offered Prijepolje a unique occasion to promote itself as an appealing tourist destination and investment-attractive community, assisted by two USAID projects: Serbia Contingency Planning and Economic Security and Municipal Economic Growth Activity.

Basketball Museum, Prijepolje