Project Duration: 01.12.2022-31.08.2025
Location: Kotayk, Lori, Armavir, Ararat, Shirak, Gegharkunik, Syunik, Vayoc Dzor, Tavush, Aragatsotn Regions
Project Purpose: To contribute to strengthening population protection systems in the regions of Armenia through volunteer capacity.
Project Description: From December, 2022 Armenian Red Cross Society partnering with Armenian Caritas, started implementing “Institutionalising a Volunteer First Responder Service in Armenia (VolFiRe)” project.
The Civil Protection system in Armenia is currently mainly based on professional responders from governmental institutions. They are to a large extent on-duty firefighters and other paid staff of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES). The national budget for Civil Protection is limited. These means that the Ministry of Emergency Situations has limited capacities for responding to local emergencies and even less, to large disasters on the whole territory of Armenia.
By further developing and rolling out the model of community-based Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups piloted in the StrengthVOL project, the VolFiRe programme will provide a solution for this dilemma. The Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups will be rolled out within VolFiRe to 12 municipalities in 10 regions. By establishing a Volunteer First Responder service in the 10 regions of Armenia the VolFiRe programme will contribute to increasing preparedness for response to disasters thus strengthening resilience in Armenia in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Within the pilot project, it became clear that the different pilot fire rescue groups, were composed differently in terms of gender and age. While one group contained many younger volunteers, including women, other groups were mainly frequented by men over 40. This has prompted the necessity to explore how to ensure more diverse volunteer teams and provide framework conditions to allow people from all walks of life to participate in the teams (Ob. 5). The international community recognizes inclusion as a guiding principle of DRR. This is reflected in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-30), which acknowledges that DRR requires an all-of-society engagement and partnership, which promotes the empowerment and inclusive, accessible, and non-discriminatory participation of all people disproportionately affected by disasters.
Project objectives:
- Conducting research and development of a model on experience and lessons learned of volunteers integration in population protection systems.
- Volunteer teams’ capacity and formation building for population protection in Armenia.
- Development of intersectoral cooperation in the field of civil protection and establishment of appropriate self-sufficient systems in communities.
- Development of an outcome model for the inclusion and development of population protection volunteers, which can later be applied for the purpose of developing volunteers in the field of civil protection.
- Enhanced integration of gender equality and disability inclusion in the Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups of Armenia (Responsible organization: Armenian Caritas).
Activities
5.1 Conduct gender and disability analysis of the VFRGs,
5.2 Developing and carrying out training to raise awareness on gender equality and disability inclusion,
5.3 Implementing recommendations to facilitate the inclusion of different groups of volunteers,
5.4 Consulting and collaborating with local organizations supporting disabled people and women,
5.5 Highlighting the empowerment and inclusion of women, people with disabilities and older people in volunteering,
5.6 Conducting a final overall project review with a focus on gender and disability.
Project results:
Output 1: A conceptual framework for Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups in Armenia is developed
Output 2: The Volunteer Fire Rescue Group model is an integral part of the civil protection system
Output 3: Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups are established, operational and well supported countrywide
Output 4: The local Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups are deployable for regional and national disaster response
Output 5: Enhanced integration of gender equality and disability inclusion in the Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups of Armenia (25% female volunteers in VFRGs, PWD targeted in volunteer recruitment)
Project Beneficiaries: 115,174 direct beneficiaries. The target groups of the project are the population of the Garni – RA Kotayk Region, RA Lori Region – Spitak and Alaverdi, RA Armavir Region – Baghramyan, RA Ararat Region – Vedi, RA Shirak Region – Ashotsk, RA Gegharkunik Region – Chambarak, RA Syunik Region – Kapan, Vayk and Areni of Vayots Dzor Region RA, Ayrum of Tavush Region RA, Talin of Aragatsotn Region of RA.
Project is Financed by: Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds from the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), Austrian Red Cross Society (AutRCS), Caritas Austria (Innsbruck).
Partners: Project is being implemented in partnership with Armenian Red Cross Society (lead organization) and Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Project Budget: overall 1,579,000 Euro, Armenian Caritas: 122,771 Euro
Project Manager (Gender and Disability Inclusion component): Gayane Norikyan