Six fire engines have been handed over to communities in the Lviv agglomeration as part of humanitarian aid from the people of Taiwan. The new vehicles will go to the communities of Pustomyty, Zhovkva, Pidbirtsi, Novyi Yarychiv, Zhovtantsi and Kulykiv.
The fire engines will strengthen the communities’ capacity to respond to fires and other emergencies and, where necessary, will allow them to provide rapid back-up to neighbouring areas.
The Mayor of Pustomyty, Oleh Serniak, stressed that such equipment is particularly important for extinguishing dry vegetation fires during hot periods. The Pustomyty community has a volunteer fire brigade, which local entrepreneurs and residents have joined on a voluntary basis. They respond to call-outs not only within their own starosta district, but also in Pustomyty and, when needed, assist other communities.
“Such vehicles are very much needed both by our community and by other territorial communities within the Lviv agglomeration… They will serve our territorial community and may also help other communities located nearby,” says Oleh Serniak, Mayor of Pustomyty.
The head of the Municipal Institution ‘Institute of the City’, Olena Pavliuk, noted that thanks to these vehicles, volunteer fire brigades will be able to save lives and protect people’s health. She emphasised the importance of coordinating support for Ukraine from the people of Taiwan and channelling this aid to Ukrainian communities through the Lviv City Council and the Institute of the City.
The Deputy Mayor of Lviv for Urban Planning, Liubomyr Zubach, recalled that thanks to international cooperation, Lviv has already received dozens of vehicles from the people of Taiwan, including fire and medical equipment. A significant part of this aid has been transferred to cities in eastern Ukraine, which are most in need of rescue equipment due to emergencies, but communities in the Lviv agglomeration are also receiving support.
According to him, such assistance strengthens the resilience of communities and enables them to respond more effectively to emergencies. It is also important for remote settlements and villages bordering Lviv, as in case of need the communities will be able to provide rapid back-up to one another.
It should be recalled that in April this year the Lviv City Council and the Institute of the City already handed over 68 rescue vehicles from the people of Taiwan to Ukraine. These were fire, medical and specialised vehicles for communities in the east, south and centre of the country, which have suffered the most from the war. Some of these vehicles have now also been allocated to communities in the Lviv agglomeration.