According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 43% of the total fleet consists of obsolete Soviet vehicles, and the average service life of the vehicles reaches a critical 30-40 years. Another 36% of vehicles were received as foreign donations.
Only about 14% of special vehicles have a valid service life, and less than 10% meet modern standards.
Due to frequent technical malfunctions, the response time to emergencies is growing. The average indicator significantly exceeds European standards.
The situation is aggravated by an acute shortage of personnel. Today, there is an average of 2,573 people per rescuer and firefighter in Moldova, which is the highest figure in the region. For comparison: in Romania this indicator is about 716 people, in Ukraine – 778, in Estonia – 804.
The number and complexity of field trips are increasing, while the number of staff has decreased from 3,121 in 1997 to 2,467 at present. As a result, even with the presence of units in the country, there are still settlements where the arrival time of firefighters and rescuers reaches up to 50 minutes.
The consequences are reflected in the statistics. Between 2010 and 2024, 1,329 natural emergencies were registered in the country. They caused human casualties and material damage worth more than 23.2 billion lei, with fires accounting for the largest share of losses.
All these problems are reflected in the draft government decision on the approval of the National Program of Civil Protection Development for 2026-2030, which the authorities intend to adopt in the nearest future.
