Latvia to lose two fire stations due to budget

  • 2008-11-13
  • TBT Staff in cooperation with BNS
RIGA - The head of the Latvian State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) has said that the organization would be forced to fire 158 firemen and close down two fire stations if the proposed budget for the service is not increased.

VUGD chief Ainars Pencis said in an interview with Latvian publictelevision that the budgetplanned for VUGD is smaller than it would be needed.

Pencis said that there is an idea about closing down fire stations. "But Ihope that it is the worst scenario. Maybe we will avoid that, but we areready for that," he said.

Pencis believes that volunteer fire departments should be renewed as thisis practiced by many other countries.