To improve the effectiveness of rapid emergency response in communities and ensure public safety, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is taking consistent steps to promote volunteerism.

This is evidenced by the 12 volunteer firefighting outposts already operating in various settlements across the country. On 23 October 2026, the Aparan Volunteer Fire Rescue Station was inaugurated in Aragats locality, Aragatsotn region, further expanding the network.

According to Lusine Arakelyan, Programme Coordinator of the Disaster Management Department of the Armenian Red Cross Society, as in the other 12 communities, the Aparan volunteer fire and rescue team will operate under the same mechanism: upon receiving an emergency alert, the team will be notified and respond in parallel with the Rescue Service.

The newly inaugurated station will serve Aragats locality and nearby settlements.

The opening ceremony was followed by a tactical exercise. A simulated fire broke out at Aragats Secondary School No. 2. The students were evacuated first, after which the volunteer firefighters arrived at the scene and contained the fire.

The Aparan Fire and Rescue Squad then arrived at the scene. The rescue team conducted a reconnaissance of the area, and the injured were transported to hospital.

At the conclusion of the exercise, the results were reviewed, reaffirming the readiness of the newly established volunteer fire and rescue team to assist in emergency response operations when necessary. During the event, qualified volunteers received Rescue Service record books and badges.

Representatives of the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Aparan Municipality, the Volfire Programme, and the Armenian Red Cross Society attended the opening of the new outpost.

The station was established within the framework of the project “Institutionalization of Volunteer First Response Services in the Republic of Armenia.”