site.btaVazrazhdane Proposes Establishing New Civil Protection Agency within Defence Ministry

Vazrazhdane has introduced a new bill providing for the establishment of a National Civil Protection Agency under the Ministry of Defence, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov told journalists in the corridors of Parliament on Friday.

"The goal for it is to facilitate civil mobilization, ensuring a pool of trained volunteers when required," Kostadinov said. "The agency should resume its regular training of the population, as it once did, to ensure everyone, even children, have a basic understanding of how to respond in disasters and emergencies, given our current state of unpreparedness," Kostadinov said. He asserted that the fireworks warehouse blast in Elin Pelin, which occurred Thursday, was yet another clear example of this.

That was the reason Vazrazhdane agreed to extend the parliamentary session in August to ensure the passage of this crucial bill, said the party leader.

He also said that until 1989, Bulgaria had a semi-militarized institution called "Civil Defence" under the Ministry of Defence, which mobilized citizens during major emergencies and disasters. Following 1989, it as gradually downsized, transformed into a directorate with the Ministry of Interior until 2011 before being disbanded.

Kostadinov expressed concerns about the unaccounted for equipment from the Civil Defence, noting that no one could say where it is now.