SESHAA and Partners in Tajikistan. Back

2 to 6 March 2015.

During the first week of March 2015, the Chairman of SESHAA travelled with a number of

FIREAID members to Central Asia to Tajikistan to meet with various stakeholders involved in

emergency response, with a particular focus on the response to road traffic collisions which

currently cause 18.1 deaths per 100,000 population – a considerably high road death rate.

The FIRE AID delegation consisted of Alfred Wilson (Chair of SESHAA and Steering Committee

Member of FIRE AID), Emma MacLennan (Director of EASST and Deputy Chair of FIREAID)

Julie Utting (EASST and FIREAID) Mike Pitney (Kent Fire and Rescue Service and FIRE AID),

all travelling to the capital Dushanbe for the first time. The team were assisted by EASST’s local

partner, Young Generation Tajikistan, who are currently conducting a road safety project seeking

to reduce road deaths in the Firdavsi District of Dushanbe.

Minister for Internal Affairs Navjuvonov Abdullo Shanbievich and General Mammadov

welcome the Scoping Team

The team were warmly welcomed to Dushanbe by Chief of the Republican Fire Service, General

Mammadov Nozim Ibrohimovich, who helped the UK delegation to gather information regarding

the structure and capabilities of the Fire and Emergency Services of Tajikistan – understanding

its provision of fire and rescue vehicles, equipment, training and how fire-fighters respond to

incidents. Many topics were discussed including community safety education programmes,

vehicle capabilities and age, risks faced by the fire service, response to RTCs, natural disasters,

call handling and structures, incident command, training for fire-fighters, multiagency training and

structures, PPE provision, BA, and fire investigation among other key topics.  

With General Mammadov the team visited the fire fighting training centre in Dushanbe and then

travelled to Vakhdat station, 20km from Dushanbe, where several demonstrations were

conducted by Vakhdat’s fire-fighters. General Mammadov’s deputies and the team then drove

further south to Dangara fire station (part of the Khatlon region) which covers 50 villages. Fire-

fighters stationed there have one vehicle over 25 years old, yet are situated on a key

international road route connecting Tajikistan’s neighbouring countries. The team travelled

further south to Voce, close to the Afghan border, where fire-fighters also have one fire engine

covering large distances and the main highway.

The fire fighting appliance at Vakhdat

Following their fire station visits, the team held several high level meetings in the capital with

Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs Navjuvonov Abdullo Shanbievich, General Mammadov of the

Republican Fire Service, a representative of the Committee for Emergency Situations, and

representatives from Ministry of Health. The Deputy Minister thanked FIREAID for their visit and

commitment in supporting Young Generation Tajikistan and our interest in relation to road traffic

collision prevention and intervention. The meeting was informed about the findings of the group

in relation to the RTC extrication capacity of the Fire Service stations visited and the lack of RTC

capability and resilience for such incidents.

Fire fighting demonstration at the training centre in Dushanbe.

Meetings were also held with UK Ambassador Philpot and Bob Leverington (Head of DFID

Office) to inform them of the work of FIRE AID, Chief Doctor Jalol Abdulloevich of the Dushanbe

City Clinical Hospital to review the capacity of the ambulance service, Deputy Minister Olimov

Nasim, Head of the Department on Emergency Care to discuss the resilience of the emergency

care departments to attend RTCs. Major General Saidzoda Makhmasaid Boro Head of the Road

Police of the State Road Inspection Department (GAI) expressed an interest in signing a

memorandum of understanding to collaborate on road safety awareness education and other

projects. This was welcomed by the team as a key element of ongoing work in Tajikistan. The

team concluded their visit with discussions with General Mammadov on how partnership

between the UK and Tajikistan might develop with many ideas and strategy discussed for future

cooperation. Further news will be published on the SESHAA section of the Staffordshire Fire and

Rescue Service website and the FIREAID website in due course.

FIRE AID would like to thank Naimjon and Kumush of Young Generation Tajikistan, General

Mammadov, SESHAA, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and EASST for their contribution to this

visit. This visit has been funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID).

The SESHAA Chairman Alf Wilson with Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs Navjuvonov

Abdullo Shanbievich.

A full freport with recommendations in relation to further phases of the project has been

forwarded to DfID.

FIRE AID would like to thank Naimjon and Kumush of Young Generation Tajikistan, General

Mammadov, SESHAA, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and EASST for their contribution to this

visit. This visit has been funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID).

If you feel you can contribute to this project with donations of Fire Engines, related equipment

and or PPE, please contact Alfred (Alf) Wilson – ALFREDWILSON@sky.com