Turkey's Kocaeli Fire Dept Adds 94 Recruits as Balıkesir Handles 192 Emergencies

The Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department commissioned 94 new fire‑fighter candidates, who took the state civil‑service oath and increased the department’s staff to 645 members. Officials highlighted the expanded capacity for faster and more effective response to accidents and disasters across the province.

During the weekend of 27‑28 June, Balıkesir’s fire department responded to a total of 192 incidents, including 125 fires and 67 rescue or other emergency calls. Authorities noted that many of the fires were caused by human negligence, such as sparks from agricultural machinery and careless fire‑setting, and praised coordinated efforts with the regional forest service and local municipalities to limit damage.