The Minister of the Interior, Local Authorities and Regional Planning, Brahim Merad, welcomed yesterday the degree of preparation and intervention of the Civil Protection units mobilized to deal with natural disasters.
Mr. Merad, who went to Bouira, where a simulation exercise of an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale has been taking place since last Saturday, requiring the intervention of large units, reassured about the intervention capabilities of Algerian firefighters.
“I reassure that we have the necessary means that allow us to face any disaster, whether earthquakes, floods or forest fires,” he declared.
Mr. Merad, accompanied by the Director General of Civil Protection, Boualem Boughlef, the Director General of National Security (DGSN), Ali Badaoui, and the Director General of Civil Protection of Tunisia, inspected the DRPIs of 42 wilayas of the country who are participating in this maneuver which began Thursday, and relating to the simulation of an earthquake.
The minister went to the life and operations base located in Oued El Berdi where he visited the different units and services as well as the store of materials and equipment used in the exercise.
This international maneuver organized in Bouira was also an opportunity to evaluate and test the degree of coordination and organization between the different teams operating on the ground.
The minister, who recalled that the State is working, he said, through all its institutions, to mobilize all means, particularly material ones, to avoid disaster scenarios that are difficult to control and manage, particularly fires. forests, announced the acquisition of a sixth canadair.
Algeria had, as a reminder, received five water bomber planes acquired as part of the national plan for fighting fires. “These are anticipatory measures. These air assets reinforce the means already in place, with the aim of protecting our fellow citizens and our natural reserves,” he indicated.
These measures mainly concern the opening of forest trails, the development of water basins and landing and take-off runways for the helicopters mobilized to extinguish these fires. It should be noted that a team from the Tunisian Civil Protection, made up of around fifty agents of all ranks, is participating in this international maneuver.
According to Colonel Achour Farouk, principal inspector at the DGPC, this is an exercise to simulate an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale, causing loss of human life and significant damage to the urban fabric, infrastructure and homes in four municipalities, namely Oued El Bardi, El Hachimia, Sour El Ghozlane and El Asnam. The maneuver saw the participation of 4000 elements of all ranks.
