SARAJEVO, August 19 (FENA) - The Commander of the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, Brigadier General Eric Folkestad, praised the courageous efforts of all in BiH who work hard and fight wildfires.
Today, Brigadier General Folkestad visited the 2nd helicopter squadron of the AFBiH stationed in Rajlovac and the Operational-Communication Center in the Ministry of Security of BiH.
During the visit to Rajlovac, the commander talked with the squadron commander and the aviation advisor of the NATO Headquarters Sarajevo about the capabilities and readiness of the helicopters.
During the visit, he had the opportunity to see the crews conducting maintenance test for the flight, which is part of regular operations to make sure they are ready to respond immediately upon receiving a call for help.
At the Ministry of Security, he met with the team responsible for coordinating related activities to fight and prevent the spread of fires. To help them do this, the team uses the NATO-funded system (the Next-Generation Incident Command System) to coordinate the response and share real-time information with people on the ground.
During a briefing with the director of the center, the commander was particularly interested about the locations where the fire was approaching populated areas, critical infrastructure or areas still contaminated with land mines.
"Support to civilian authorities in times of crisis is a vital part of the mission of every unit of the BiH Armed Forces. And the Armed Forces are there, ready and willing to help, if and when they are called. After visiting the center, I can see how efficiently the funds are used and how closely the situation is monitored. I want to thank everyone who has been involved so far. The weather has brought temporary relief, but the forest fire season is still going on. It is good to know that there is this experienced, equipped and well-trained ability in BiH, if the situation worsens," said Brigadier General Folkestad, the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo announced.
(FENA) S. R.