Minister of Internal Affairs, U.S. Ambassador attend the opening of new fire and rescue station in Stepanavan

A new fire and rescue station has been opened in Stepanavan. The building conditions of the station meet modern standards, and its technical equipment and new capabilities will enable rapid response.

The opening ceremony was attended by Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan, U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Kristina Kvien, Director of the Rescue Service and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Governor of Lori Aram Ghazaryan, representatives of state and local self-government bodies and rescue workers, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia said in a statement.

During the ceremony, Minister Arpine Sargsyan expressed gratitude to the U.S. government for its assistance in the construction of the Stepanavan fire and rescue station. In the context of increasing disaster resilience, she emphasized the importance of continued cooperation with U.S. partners.

Minister Sargsyan noted that the launch of the fire and rescue station in Stepanavan is an important initiative. On one hand, it enables rescue workers to provide quicker responses to emergency situations by being closer to the community, and on the other hand, it ensures decent working conditions for the workers themselves.

The Minister highlighted that the mission of the rescue service is to make Armenia a safer place to live, work, and travel. In this regard, both institutional changes within the service and the material and technical resources of the units are of great importance. Regarding the experience of overcoming disasters in the Lori and Tavush regions, the Minister noted that this serves as a special example for assessing the operational response capabilities of the Rescue Service.

U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien said, “This fire and rescue station will enable the settlements of Stepanavan and surrounding communities to respond more quickly to emergency situations.”

Both Minister Arpine Sargsyan and Ambassador Kvien toured the area and familiarized themselves with the building’s conditions.