PRESS RELEASE
On September 30, 2008, a conference on the “Role of Volunteers in Local Disaster Management in Vojvodina” will be held in Titel. USAID’s Preparedness Planning program is co-organizing the event together with the municipality of Titel. The conference is organized to promote volunteerism and best practices in the field of disaster management. Mr. Milivoj Petrovic, Mayor of Titel, will open the conference.
During past emergency situations, experience shows the importance of a well-trained and organized volunteer effort when responding to local level crisis situations. Vojvodina municipalities have fostered a long tradition of voluntarism, particularly throughout firefighting efforts. Disaster management teams from Indija, Kovacica and Titel will present their experiences in mobilizing and engaging volunteers in emergency situations. The conference will gather representatives from 17 Vojvodina municipalities included in the USAID program, from first responders, local government officials, local representatives of republic-level institutions, Red Cross members, firefighting volunteer associations, journalists and others involved in engaging volunteers.USAID’s Preparedness Planning program aims to build a sustainable and systematic approach to local-level disaster management and assists municipalities to meet domestic legal obligations and international standards in disaster management and response. To date, eleven municipalities have been certified for demonstrating “enhanced disaster resilience.” Four Vojvodina municipalities, Indjija, Irig, Kanjiza and Titel have achieved Level 1 certification. Currently, 61 municipalities in Serbia are included in program activities.
Journalists interested in attending the Conference are kindly invited to be at “Tisa” Hotel, Titel, on Tuesday, September 30, at 09:45.
For more information about this event please contact Jasmina Debeljak Maljkovic at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or Olivera Kostic at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , on 011/363 99 00. For more information about USAID’s activities in Serbia, please visit http://serbia.usaid.gov