President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Dear friends, veterans,
I want to congratulate you on the 25th anniversary of the Emergency Situations Ministry, and would like to welcome all Russian rescuers, fire fighters, and all Ministry staff for whom this difficult, important work, so much needed by our people, has become their destiny.
You are ready to be the first to come to rescue to anyone in trouble, save lives and do anything that is needed to rectify the consequences of natural disasters, man-made catastrophes or accidents as quickly as possible.
Russia has always been proud of this noble and courageous profession. The history of your service is rich in stories of true heroism and self-sacrifice. This history forever holds the deeds of your predecessors, those who saved people after the devastating earthquakes in Central Asia, Caucasus and in the Far East. Those who spared no effort, risking health or even life when taking part in liquidation of consequences of the Chernobyl disaster and other accidents.
In the past twenty-five years the Ministry’s staff has more than once proved in real life the efficiency and reliability of their work, having carried out thousands of successful rescue operations in our country and abroad. And in any situation they always worked competently and efficiently as one team.
It was the same when you eliminated a major emergency at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Station, when you evacuated our citizens from conflict zones in the Middle East and in Africa, and when you delivered food, medicine, warm clothes and other humanitarian cargos to the residents of Donbass, and only recently when you had to arrange emergency power supply to Crimean cities and towns.
On behalf of the citizens of Russia, I would like to thank you for your honest work that is always involves significant risk, for your professionalism, resolution and personal bravery.
It is also our duty to remember our colleagues, our comrades and friends who were killed on duty – all those who gave their lives for the sake of other people.
Friends,
Today the Emergency Situations Ministry is a powerful, mobile and well-equipped structure. It is very important that you are constantly perfecting your work and your methods and upgrading the equipment you use.
Among our priorities is the development of a single Emergency Response and Recovery System that, if necessary, would make it possible to quickly mobilise all the available federal and regional forces and equipment to combat natural disasters.
We should give special attention to control over safety measures at social protection facilities, pre-school facilities and schools, boarding schools and dormitories. Inspections should be comprehensive and thorough – checking everything, from the state of the premises to the readiness of the staff for emergency response. We need to make greater demands and penalise those who fail to do their duty.
As we have agreed, we need to improve control in the economy. It should be effective, ensuring high safety standards, while at the same time not overburdening for law-abiding business people who do their job honestly.
It is important to increase the mobility of the special emergency services and develop emergency prevention, including with the use of our GLONASS system and other means, like space monitoring, and to more actively use new methods and equipment to control natural disasters.
The emergency services should take their international cooperation in eliminating the consequences of emergencies to a new level. We have everything we need to develop our partnerships: a wealth of experience, equipment and staff.
The state will in turn further enhance the system of social guarantees for Emergency Situations Ministry staff and create the necessary conditions for your work.
Friends,
I would like once to again congratulate our veterans and all Emergency Situations Ministry employees on your approaching professional holiday. I am certain that you will continue to do your duty honourably.
I would like to wish you all success, health and all the best. You have a gala evening ahead. My congratulations, once again, and best wishes.