Turkey boosts local disaster response with equipment for Akşehir muhtars and firefighter training in Izmir

In Akşehir’s 55 neighbourhoods, muhtars received personal protective equipment and 6‑kg ABC fire‑extinguishers as part of the "Neighbourhood Search and Rescue Teams Project". The initiative will establish volunteer rescue teams of six members in each neighbourhood, totalling 330 volunteers, and provide training on disaster awareness, basic search‑and‑rescue, fire safety, first aid and emergency management. Project director Abdullah Yağcı said, “Afetlere müdahalede ilk dakikalar hayati önem taşımaktadır.”

Separately, the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department began an intensive programme to certify 110 firefighters under AFAD’s heavy‑level urban search‑and‑rescue accreditation. The curriculum includes map reading, GPS and compass use, and practical rescue drills designed for scenarios where communications are down. Fire chief Ömer Selçuk remarked, “Bu sadece bir belge alma süreci değil, afetlere müdahalede standartlaşmayı sağlayacak, disiplinli çalışmayı güçlendirecek ve daha fazla can kurtarmayı hedefleyen kapsamlı bir dönüşüm adımıdır.”