On Tuesday, October 23, Mr. Michael Pillsbury, Director of USAID’s Contingency Planning program and Mr. Nikola Atanasijević, Deputy Mayor of Raška Municipality, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding which will formalize the cooperation and define roles and responsibilities for both parties in developing the capacity to plan for and respond to natural disasters, crises and emergencies.
On Tuesday, October 23, Mr. Michael Pillsbury, Director of USAID’s Contingency Planning program and Mr. Nikola Atanasijević, Deputy Mayor of Raška Municipality, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding which will formalize the cooperation and define roles and responsibilities for both parties in developing the capacity to plan for and respond to natural disasters, crises and emergencies.
Severe floods, landslides, chemical accidents, fires and other disasters that have occurred during the past years in Serbia have shown that first responders at the local level play a key role in preventing and responding to a crisis. Since first responders have to rely on their own expertise and capacities in the immediate aftermath of a crisis, the better trained they are, the more capable they are to effectively respond.
USAID has to date trained 200 first responders and other local actors from 26 municipalities across Serbia, including Raška, in disaster management and risk assessment. USAID has also helped municipalities develop or update plans for response to various kinds of natural disasters and hazards, assisting municipalities to become more resilient to crisis.
USAID’s Contingency Planning program strengthens the capacity of municipal governments to plan for potential emergencies and to provide effective responses should they occur.