Interior Minister Kamel Feki said Saturday his ministry is working to strengthen civil protection and provide it with specialised resources and the necessary equipment. The minister was speaking during a visit to the National School of Civil Protection in Jebel Jeloud, Tunis. He stressed the importance of strengthening civil protection's response capacity in order to provide citizens with the best possible service in the shortest possible time. Feki also emphasised the importance of developing continuous training for all civil protection officers. He noted the rapidity of the various units operating in the field and inspected some of the equipment used for rescue, disaster management and fire-fighting. The Minister praised the level of Tunisian expertise in civil protection, which has enabled Tunisia to become the 59th country to adopt the methodology of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG). Tunisia has met the international standards set by the INSARAG guidelines and was elected for the first time last November to head the International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO). During the visit, civil protection officials presented exercises simulating certain situations and different intervention techniques. The missions of the National Office of Civil Protection, the projects carried out and those planned were also presented, as well as a series of proposals for strengthening the various units in terms of human resources and equipment. Tunisia's election to the presidency of the ICDO came at the end of its General Assembly, which was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at the end of November.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse