The Committee members, in presence of the Director of the Directorate for Emergency Situations, were informed on activities which this organisational unit had been undertaking in the previous period within its responsibilities, with special reference to what had been achieved in 2015. The interest of the Committee members was focused on activities implemented during enforcement of laws and other regulations from the subject field, the issues of resources of the protection and rescue system, international cooperation, as well as the issues of funding. On this occasion, special reference was given to mechanisms of effective improvement of the subject field. In that respect, the MPs noted that in the field of protection and rescue, as a very specific field, long-term key activities needed to be directed towards continuous improvement of the system, through its normative organisation, harmonisation with the EU acquis, drafting of developmental documents, strengthening of bilateral and regional cooperation, etc. In this context, they also confirmed the importance of finding a quality and unique normative solution for members of firefighting services.

A part of the meeting was dedicated to the visit of the Aviation and Helicopter Unit in Golubovci during which the Committee members were informed on the capacities and the manner of operations of this organisational unit.

The Committee supported efforts regarding further strengthening of capacities of the said unit. Furthermore, it was noted that special attention needed to be paid to professional and technical capacitation of the Aviation and Helicopter Unit, as well as on modernisation of its equipment.

In the context of discussion on protection and rescue, the Committee noted the necessity that all entities of protection and rescue, in exercising their legally determined rights and duties, should timely undertake activities on improvement of protection and rescue system.

Today, the Committee members also visited the Operational and Communication Centre 112 which follows and registers occurrences and events from the field of security, as needed undertakes and organises emergency and more extensive operative measures and coordinates and directs the work of organisational units of the Police Administration. On this occasion, special emphasis was placed on the activities of the Centre, relating to the following: achieving cooperation with responsible services of other organisations and bodies, delivering orders and instructions and undertaking measures for emergency informing and notifying heads of the Administration on events and occurrences of interest to security, maintaining communication with centres of countries in the region, informing the media on events within their responsibilities and making daily and monthly newsletters of events.

The Committee estimated that the Centre operating at full capacity was extremely important for unification of work of all emergency services in the country and it enabled easier access to information. It was noted that it was especially important in the upcoming period to further educate citizens on work of this Centre whose activities at full capacity had begun last year in October.

The Committee members today also visited the nuclear shelter with equipment for protection and rescue in Podgorica, as well as the storage “Rogami”.

In the concluding part of the visit to the Main Office for Emergency Situations, the participants in the meeting jointly noted the necessity of continuous material and technical equipping of all entities of protection and rescue, and undertaking activities for improvement of professional and material capacities of members of operative units and procurement of new equipment and funds aimed at permanent securing of the protection and rescue system which was capacitated to provide answers to challenges.