Old and depreciated, destroyed buildings... the state of the firefighting fleet in Albania

Fiks Fare denounced the state of the fleet of fire engines in Albania on Wednesday evening.

In most of the stations there were old fire extinguishers, starting from the 60s-70s, amortized and destroyed buildings. The summer we just left behind was one of the hottest in Albania. Hundreds of fires spread from Vermoshi to Konispol, while there have also been dramatic situations where human lives have been endangered.

Forests, houses and even resorts have even burned. In some places, there have been large fires, which have lasted for days in a row, in cities or mountains, as firefighters have found it impossible to extinguish them due to the lack of tools or even infrastructure. Based on this situation, Fiks Fare has made an observation in dozens of cities for fire stations, the fleet or even residences. The situation was alarming.

In some cities, there were vehicles from the 60s and 70s, not equipped with means for extinguishing flames or intervention in accidents. Dozens of vehicles were in service, while others had cracked water tanks. But, besides the fleet, the stations were also alarming. Unreconstructed, damp, old or even cracked furniture, endangering the lives of staff. Meanwhile, even those cities that had new tools, they were donations.

Shijaku with cracked fire extinguisher, Durrës auto-escalator in SPAK!

The "Fiks Fare" group traveled to Shijak and the boiler of the only fire extinguisher that was in working order was leaking. The boiler was cracked, while the other fire engine was being repaired. The firefighters were standing in a container, without any condition to stay. "We have a small problem with its flow. It is not possible to intervene because it takes time, let's close the season and we will deal with it," said the inspector of the MOH Shijak, Sajmir Çeka. Fiksi asked him why he calls the leak a small problem, as he replied that "we don't have a massive leak, but we can't repair it now." To the question why the firefighters stay in the container, the answer is that the conditions are not good, but the Municipality of Shijak has promised them a new station.

Fiksit's camera traveled to the fire station in Durrës, where chief Mariglen Muçaj said that they got new cars, but this fire season they spent with the old ones since the new ones have not arrived yet. According to him, the entire station operates with an escalator manufactured in 1963, after the new escalator was confiscated by SPAK, in the criminal case against the former mayor of Durrës Municipality, Vangjush Dako. "Durresi received an auto-escalator a few years ago, which has now been released by the Special Court, but it seems that it was seized for 4 years, we have requested that the municipality bring us experts to see the technical condition. Then we will take it to repair it" he affirms. The functional fire extinguishers are manufactured in 1996, while UNDP also donated earthquake equipment, but after the 2019 earthquake.

The film also went to Kavaja, where the station is located on the first floor of a building. The new station has been built, but has not yet been inaugurated. Meanwhile, Rrogozhina Station has two vehicles. Besnik Murati, Head of the Rrogozhin Ministry of Education, told Fiks Fare that an autobot is also needed, as the fire engine only has 2,500 liters.

Belshi with the tool of '75, the tools of Peqin relic!

Meanwhile, the fire station in Belsh has only one vehicle in working condition. It is a MAN vehicle, from 1975. This station also had another vehicle, but it was in service. The 1975 vehicle was in a highly depreciated condition, with features and modifications. Meanwhile, the vehicle did not have any equipment for accidents or other items such as anti-gas. The same situation was in the accommodation facilities, it was an improvised building as a station. Untidy, with dirty and unreconstructed bathrooms.

The day that the Fiks Fare group went to see the fire station in Peqin, a big fire broke out in the Metallurgical area in Elbasan. Fix's camera followed this station's autobot. The vehicle is very old and without sirens. The driver and firefighters used their hands to signal vehicles and other drivers to open the road. Agron Gjevori, the commander of the Peqin Ministry of Education, said that "we don't have any equipment for accidents". He pointed to the fire engine, which he claimed has only 7 hoses. "One week ago we had an accident, the driver inside heard that he collided with a barge and we had nothing to do. We were ashamed to be there. We must be the weakest station for equipment. Autobot is in good technical condition, but there is no signage.

There is no trumpet to blow. The Autobot is from 1975,” he said. For the fire department, he adds that the machine has been working in Peqin for 18 years, but it has been squeezed. "We don't even have clothes to wear. This station of ours must be the worst in Albania. You can't see the equipment, this car has 10 pipes and a windshield that is torn from all the wings. Putting it on is done. Better to say we don't have. This is the condition of the car. We have these fixed on our backs. We have picks and shovels, that's it! If we didn't have these either, we're done. We don't have the main ones, we go to an accident, it's a shame to go. Better not to go" he concludes.

But, a few kilometers further east, the Cërriku Station was equipped with new vehicles, and there is even one vehicle from 2024, a donation from the Japanese Embassy. "We have another one from 2022, a donation from the EU. The premises leave a little to be desired, they are on the first floor of a former dormitory and not repaired.

Kuçova with the war station, Lushnja ruins

Kuçova station is the oldest in Albania, opened when the Italians discovered oil. "This is the first station opened by the Italian API, when they came to open the wells and made this station. It was built around 1944. Now we have 2 vehicles, one is from the Japanese Embassy. We have an old vehicle and it is kept as a relic that the municipality will open a museum, it is from 1973. The American Embassy has told us that they will build a new station, that we cover the military base and cover the territory from the outside," said responsible Teodor Mërtiri. "The accommodation facilities are untidy, but very old. There was no intervention, small things were done. The structure is from the time of the Italian, it is the same project" he affirms.

Meanwhile, the Fire Station in Lushnje has been located in the former military branch for 15 years, a very old and depreciated building. With a leaking toilet outside, very humid. Even the interiors are very damp, damp and untidy. "The Foristrad vehicle has been a gift from TAP for 2 years that the TAP line passes through our territory. In all the municipalities that TAP passes through, such tools have been donated," said Xhezmi Metushi, head of the Lushnje Ministry of Education and Culture. At the moment that Fiksi asks the person responsible for the big fire in the Trade Center and the difficulties, the person in charge's phone rings for an emergency and they go to the emergency room.

Fiks also went to Mallakastër, where the station was renovated after the denunciation by Fiks Fare in 2017. The Patos station was not reconstructed, while they had tools and an autobot. "The American Embassy will make us a new station in the Dukas neighborhood, it will start very soon to become new. The station has been here since 2014, then there was no toilet. We would make an intervention, but a new department will be created and they said that two interventions cannot be made at the same time," said Alket Halimi, head of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports in Patos. Meanwhile, the station in Roskovec was not in the city, but 8 kilometers from the center, in a village! Ch