We Are in the 21st Century, But the Equipment We Have Is from the 20th Century: Felix Tsolakyan

We are in the 21st century, but the equipment we have is from the 20th century. This was stated by the Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia, Felix Tsolakyan, during a conversation with journalists in Gyumri.

"In other words, the equipment we have corresponds to the conditions that existed in Yerevan. Now, see the buildings—shopping malls and so on—that have been constructed in Yerevan over the past few years, for which we have not received adequate updates. We have difficulties; it is natural that complications will arise in the event of a major disaster. The success of our current operations is mainly due to the heroic work of our firefighters," noted Felix Tsolakyan.

The minister reported that during this time of year, about 100 fires are recorded daily in the Republic, including in grasslands, houses, and other places, and in all cases, rescuers have managed to extinguish the fires correctly.

Felix Tsolakyan also addressed the fire that occurred the day before at the "Malatia Mall," specifically regarding a situation where the mall's owner, Samvel Aleksanyan, encouraged staff to enter the burning area and retrieve items during the fire. "We had a similar case in the storeroom of the 'Zyunek' refrigerators. Somewhere, the firefighter was urged to extract the items. This serves both sides—he saves the goods, and for the firefighter, a burning item is retrieved. But the firefighters leave the items that can be removed safely. If there is a fire source and a possibility of suffocation, they do not let it pass. Irregular actions were taken yesterday, which posed a danger to the firefighter," said the Minister of Emergency Situations.