'Community Lifeguard Officer' key security achievement this year - Klymenko
During the six months of work, rescue officers responded to emergencies almost a thousand times, most of which were related to military operations, and participated in extinguishing more than 33,500 thousand fires, reported the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko.
"This year, one of the key achievements in the field of security and civil protection was the launch of the 'Community Rescue Officer' project," the minister wrote in the Telegram channel on Tuesday, noting the results of the work in 2025.
According to him, this initiative was introduced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the State Emergency Service, based on the successful experience of the "Community Police Officer" project.
"We have repeatedly seen that where a specialist knows the community, lives its problems and works alongside people, the result is always better," Klymenko noted.
The minister specified that the "Community Rescue Officer" project has been operating for six months, and in the first four months it covered 100% of territorial communities of Ukraine (except for temporarily occupied territories).
"To date, more than 2,300 officers have already completed training and received certificates. "In six months, rescue officers responded to emergencies more than 970 times, most of which were related to military operations, participated in extinguishing more than 33.5 thousand fires, identified more than 4,300 explosive objects," Klymenko informed.
He also emphasized that a separate area of work for rescue officers is cooperation with local governments.
"Rescue officers provide assistance in planning civil defense, sheltering the population, and forming volunteer fire brigade units," he added.
The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs concluded: "Security is not only response, but also prevention. That is why rescue officers teach people algorithms for actions during emergencies. We continue to strengthen the security system in the field."