USAID Partners with Four New Municipalities to Improve Emergency Response

Thursday, 24 September 2009 13:30

On September 24, 2009, USAID will sign Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with four municipalities to improve disaster planning and emergency response. These municipalities include: Blace, Rekovac, Surdulica and Vladičin Han. Mr. Milan Popadić, Ministry of Defense’s Head of Department for Emergency Situations, Miodrag Marjanović, Head of Department for Emergencies for Jablanički District, and Dušan Todorović, City of Kruševac’s Coordinator of a Group for Emergencies will speak at the ceremony.

Daniel Dašić, USAID’s representative will also address the participants at the event, as well as Michael Pillsbury, Director of USAID’s Preparedness and Planning Program, who will sign MOUs with the mayors on behalf of USAID. 
 
These municipalities face many natural and man-made hazards, such as floods, landslides, fires, earthquakes, and environmental pollution that have a potential to endanger public health and safety, as well as cause considerable damage to municipal and residential property. The signing of MoUs formalizes cooperation and demonstrates the joint commitment of USAID and the five municipalities to improve the local capacities of local actors to plan for and respond to crises.
 
To date, over 700 persons from 60 municipalities' Disaster Management teams throughout Serbia have attended U.S. supported trainings in the areas of risk assessment, risk management, and planning methodology. The new municipalities will benefit from training, technical assistance and networking events promoting best practices in the field of disaster management in the years ahead.

USAID’s Preparedness and Planning program builds a sustainable and systematic approach to local-level disaster management and assists municipalities to meet legal obligations and international standards in disaster management and response.  Currently, 69 municipalities in Serbia are included in activities.

Journalists interested in attending the ceremony are kindly invited to be at Aleksandar Hotel Conference room, Nis, on Thursday, September 24, at 10:50 am.