Marutyan Unconcerned About Fires: Discrepancies Found in Emergency Situations Ministry

The Republic of Armenia's Audit Chamber has conducted a study on the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. According to the 'Joghovurd' newspaper, the Chamber has identified several discrepancies.

It has come to our attention that in six administrative districts of Yerevan, the number of fire trucks is 27 less than the quantity established by urban planning norms. Furthermore, there are no fire-rescue units deployed in the Malatia-Sebastia and Kanaker-Zeytoun administrative districts, despite Yerevan being a city with over 200,000 residents. The number of fire trucks and calculations should be one operational unit for every 20,000 residents.

The 'Joghovurd' newspaper has learned that in the Malatia-Sebastia and Kanaker-Zeytoun districts, emergency calls are responded to by neighboring administrative districts.

This is not all. The newspaper reports that on September 1 of last year, the Ministry of Emergency Situations formally requested Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan to allocate appropriate areas or properties in the Malatia-Sebastia and Kanaker-Zeytoun districts. However, in response, on September 15 of the previous year, the Yerevan Municipality informed the Ministry in writing that there were no available areas for the establishment of fire-rescue units among the city’s properties. In other words, the mayor has declined the request, leading to the impression that Marutyan is not concerned about fires,” writes the newspaper.