The regional announcement that "privatizes" the fight against fires, the associations that threaten to stop

New clouds in the middle of the fire-fighting campaign, there is not only Forestas staff and protest withthe strike already announced for next 12 July.

After the publication of the regional announcement, many voluntary organizations are mobilized and - they write in a letter - " reserve the right to review their commitment to the campaign ". Although the activity for this year should still be guaranteed "trusting in the fact that the battle to prevent Sardinia from burning and the Sardinians are in a serious situation of risk is a common battle between volunteers and local and regional administrators", he explains. the Regional Representation of the Civil Protection Volunteer of the Sardinia Region, which wrote to the President of the Region, the Councilor for the Environment, the Director General of Civil Protection, the Regional Council, the mayors and the Head of the National Civil Protection Department.

The associations are asking for a revocation of the notice : the notice published on the Region's website provides for "an expense of just under one and a half million euros for a minimum number of 16 pick-up vehicles with fire protection module, two operators for each vehicle of which a driver for 48 days ".

A document that - they explain - "opens the way to a private management in the fire prevention campaign for interventions of pure relevance to the Forestry Corps, Forestas dei barracelli, firefighters and voluntary associations".

All organizations and associations that work for free, always anticipating all the necessary resources. "This contract - is the main criticism - has given the sense of a devaluation of the work carried out by volunteering and the debasement of its role . Even more so because it concerns patrolling and therefore prevention activities that volunteers have never been allowed to do. except for a few days, with an economic justification or non-availability of adequate resources ".

"The Sardinian Civil Protection Volunteer Service - it is the conclusion - cannot accept such a loss of respect towards those who, free of charge, make their professionalism, knowledge of the territory and their free time available, and even less towards other entities officers who find themselves operating with extreme shortages of personnel and means ".

(Unioneonline / L)