On September 16, 2022, at the Volunteer Fire Department in Diosig (www.centrupompieri.ro), the opening conference for the project titled “Volunteers 112,” funded by the Operational Program for Administrative Capacity, took place.

The project is being implemented by the Association for the Promotion of Business in Romania (www.rove.ro).

Partners: The municipalities of Aușeu, Biharia, Buduslău, Cherechiu, Diosig, Holod, Lugașu de Jos, Roșiori, Sălacea, Sâniob, Tămășeu, Tarcea, Vadu Crișului, and the town of Săcueni.

Total project cost: 424,481 RON, of which the EU co-financing amounts to 353,593 RON.

Project duration: 14 months, June 16, 2022–August 15, 2023

The overall objective of the project:

• Establishing an efficient and coordinated information system among the volunteer emergency response services in Bihor County,
• To enhance the skills and knowledge of volunteer firefighters in order to improve disaster management in the county.
• The project will establish cooperation among the volunteer emergency response units in the 14 municipalities/cities with which APPAR has signed a partnership agreement for local development,
• Establishing and maintaining a mechanism for cooperation between SVSU and the volunteer firefighters in Bihor County
• To increase visibility and raise awareness of emergency response efforts and to restore the prestige of this noble calling.
• To build the capacity of APPAR members (partners—14 local administrative units) by improving their skills in risk management and first aid,

Expected results:

• Anefficientandcoordinated information systemamong the volunteeremergencyresponseservices in the 14 municipalities/cities with which APPAR has signed partnerships for local development, – Involving staff from local public authorities and institutions (management and operational staff); local elected officials, volunteer firefighters, citizens, and NGOs.
• Training of 200 people —members of the APPAR association and residents of 14 partner local administrative units—for the occupation of firefighter’s assistant (COR code 541104) and first aid
• Organizing ajoint exercise involving several volunteers from the 14 municipalities/cities targeted by the project to promote development at the county level and to facilitate the exchange of best practices among local authorities
• Reducing bureaucratic barriers in the development of volunteer emergency services and in updatingtheir operational documents, by providing supportand guidance to the 14 local authorities in these processes.

Target group:

• 100 people, members of the Association for the Promotion of Business in Romania, who work in the field of volunteer emergency services within the local public authorities of the 14 administrative-territorial units
• 42 local elected officials, including 14 mayors, 28 local council members—14 people —and the head of the volunteer emergency services department
• 44 citizens—out of the 14 local administrative units
• The 200 members of the target group will participate in firefighter or first aid training courses, depending on each participant’s needs.

“Project co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Program for Administrative Capacity 2014–2020”