The Armenian government says it will allocate 1.2 billion drams (US$ 2.9m) to modernize the country’s fire and rescue services.  

Minister of Emergency Affairs Armen Pambukchyan, at a government cabinet session today, said most firefighting/emergency rescue units are housed in buildings dating to the 1960s and 1970s and that some 60% of the vehicles are of Soviet manufacture.

PM Nikol Pashinyan remarked that while Armenia has received Japanese and Russian support to modernize such services, his government must also do its part.