The Chairman of SESHAA and members of FIREAID visited Tajikistan in March 2015 to meet with stakeholders involved in emergency response and assess the country's fire and rescue services. They met with the Chief of the Republican Fire Service who gave them a tour of fire stations and training facilities. The delegation also had high-level meetings with government officials to discuss road safety, emergency healthcare, and potential partnerships between the UK and Tajikistan on improving emergency response. The visit aimed to gather information and make recommendations on how to strengthen Tajikistan's capacity to respond to issues like road traffic collisions.

1. SESHAA and Partners in Tajikistan.
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2 to 6 March 2015.
During the first week of March 2015, the Chairman of SESHAA travelled with a number of
FIREAID members to Central Asia to Tajikistan to meet with various stakeholders involved in
emergency response, with a particular focus on the response to road traffic collisions which
currently cause 18.1 deaths per 100,000 population – a considerably high road death rate.
The FIRE AID delegation consisted of Alfred Wilson (Chair of SESHAA and Steering Committee
Member of FIRE AID), Emma MacLennan (Director of EASST and Deputy Chair of FIREAID)
Julie Utting (EASST and FIREAID) Mike Pitney (Kent Fire and Rescue Service and FIRE AID),
all travelling to the capital Dushanbe for the first time. The team were assisted by EASST’s local
partner, Young Generation Tajikistan, who are currently conducting a road safety project seeking
to reduce road deaths in the Firdavsi District of Dushanbe.
Minister for Internal Affairs Navjuvonov Abdullo Shanbievich and General Mammadov
welcome the Scoping Team

2. The team were warmly welcomed to Dushanbe by Chief of the Republican Fire Service, General
Mammadov Nozim Ibrohimovich, who helped the UK delegation to gather information regarding
the structure and capabilities of the Fire and Emergency Services of Tajikistan – understanding
its provision of fire and rescue vehicles, equipment, training and how fire-fighters respond to
incidents. Many topics were discussed including community safety education programmes,
vehicle capabilities and age, risks faced by the fire service, response to RTCs, natural disasters,
call handling and structures, incident command, training for fire-fighters, multiagency training and
structures, PPE provision, BA, and fire investigation among other key topics.
With General Mammadov the team visited the fire fighting training centre in Dushanbe and then
travelled to Vakhdat station, 20km from Dushanbe, where several demonstrations were
conducted by Vakhdat’s fire-fighters. General Mammadov’s deputies and the team then drove
further south to Dangara fire station (part of the Khatlon region) which covers 50 villages. Fire -
fighters stationed there have one vehicle over 25 years old, yet are situated on a key
international road route connecting Tajikistan’s neighbouring countries. The team travelled
further south to Voce, close to the Afghan border, where fire-fighters also have one fire engine
covering large distances and the main highway.
The fire fighting appliance at Vakhdat

3. Following their fire station visits, the team held several high level meetings in the capital with
Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs Navjuvonov Abdullo Shanbievich, General Mammadov of the
Republican Fire Service, a representative of the Committee for Emergency Situations, and
representatives from Ministry of Health. The Deputy Minister thanked FIREAID for their visit and
commitment in supporting Young Generation Tajikistan and our interest in relation to road traffic
collision prevention and intervention. The meeting was informed about the findings of the group
in relation to the RTC extrication capacity of the Fire Service stations visited and the lack of RTC
capability and resilience for such incidents.
Fire fighting demonstration at the training centre in Dushanbe.
Meetings were also held with UK Ambassador Philpot and Bob Leverington (Head of DFID
Office) to inform them of the work of FIRE AID, Chief Doctor Jalol Abdulloevich of the Dushanbe
City Clinical Hospital to review the capacity of the ambulance service, Deputy Minister Olimov
Nasim, Head of the Department on Emergency Care to discuss the resilience of the emergency
care departments to attend RTCs. Major General Saidzoda Makhmasaid Boro Head of the Road
Police of the State Road Inspection Department (GAI) expressed an interest in signing a
memorandum of understanding to collaborate on road safety awareness education and other
projects. This was welcomed by the team as a key element of ongoing work in Tajikistan. The
team concluded their visit with discussions with General Mammadov on how partnership
between the UK and Tajikistan might develop with many ideas and strategy discussed for future

4. cooperation. Further news will be published on the SESHAA section of the Staffordshire Fire and
Rescue Service website and the FIREAID website in due course.
FIRE AID would like to thank Naimjon and Kumush of Young Generation Tajikistan, General
Mammadov, SESHAA, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and EASST for their contribution to this
visit. This visit has been funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID).
The SESHAA Chairman Alf Wilson with Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs Navjuvonov
Abdullo Shanbievich.

5. A full freport with recommendations in relation to further phases of the project has been
forwarded to DfID.
FIRE AID would like to thank Naimjon and Kumush of Young Generation Tajikistan, General
Mammadov, SESHAA, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and EASST for their contribution to this
visit. This visit has been funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID).
If you feel you can contribute to this project with donations of Fire Engines, related equipment
and or PPE, please contact Alfred (Alf) Wilson – ALFREDWILSON@sky.com