Slovakia - building of rescEU Aerial Forest Firefighting capacities using medium/heavy lift helicopters

forthcoming

Project aims to develop capacity – firefighting helicopter to provide assistance in overwhelming situations where overall existing capacities at national level and those committed by Member States to the European Civil Protection Pool are not able to ensure an effective response. In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of extreme forest fires in Europe with serious economic, environmental and social consequences. In particular, the 2017 and 2018 forest fire seasons demonstrated the need to be prepared when disasters severely and simultaneously affect several Member States. This project relates to developing an aerial forest firefighting capacity, composed by one medium/heavy lift helicopter, under Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) action grants, to be made available under rescEU. The capacity mentioned above will be developed by Ministry of Interior of Slovakia. Once the capacity will be developed, it will contribute to enhance EU’s preparedness to respond to emergency situations and disasters (regarding large forest and vegetal fires and performing aerial firefighting, but not limited, also in floods, Medevac, search and rescue in mountains ) especially when Member and/or Participating States are simultaneously affected, situations that immediately need an aerial intervention by first responders with medium/heavy lift firefighting helicopters. The capacity will help to address temporary shortcomings caused by the exceptional need of surge capacity in aerial forest firefighting, hence reinforcing cross-border disasters prevention mechanisms and contributing to booster EU resilience to forest-fires.