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According to recent data on 2018 provided by the Municipality, Hatay Metropolitan Firefighting Department intervened to 7,671 emergency cases out of which 5,722 are fires, and 1,949 are rescuing missions. Even only two of the vehicles provided by the UNDP under TRP were used in 233 cases, which means sixteen percent of the overall interventions in fire incidents in province-wide, and twenty five percent in county-wide. According to the available data, more than 480,000 people have benefited from the newly purchased vehicles.
I was deep in thought, in our car with my teammates, and the ceremony ended minutes ago, when the emergency bells rang, and the rushing inside the forecourt of the Hatay Central Firefighting Department had begun. We were witnessing an emergency situation, where lives could be saved, and UNDP and the EU had the opportunity to jointly contribute in the situation. That was real. That wasn’t in another technical report, or in a documentary, or even in the news. We all looked for the last time, at the brave members of the brigade rushing in their red trucks and vehicles breaking out of ceremony order and going out one by one. There I remembered what Cengiz had told me “Listen brother, the next time we go on an emergency mission, I will make a video of how these vehicles and equipment make a difference and save lives”. I was not sure if I wished to receive that video, but I finally understood his point.