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Nazrin Abdul

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Over the years since its establishment, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) has carried out extensive inspection, supervision, and rescue activities across the country, conducting on average nearly 70,000 fire safety inspections annually, according to official data.

As reported by Azernews, speaking at an event held at the MES Academy to mark the Professional Holiday of MES employees and the 20th anniversary of the ministry, Emergency Situations Minister, Colonel General Kamaladdin Heydarov, highlighted the scope of the ministry’s work. He also noted annual inspections at around 4,000 construction sites, technical examinations of more than 3,300 high-risk facilities and equipment, oversight of nearly 200 sites for nuclear and radiological safety, and technical inspections of over 1,700 small vessels each year.

Heydarov emphasized that MES fire and rescue units have demonstrated a high level of professionalism in responding swiftly and effectively to a wide range of emergencies. These include fires in residential, industrial, and commercial facilities, such as large shopping centers, as well as forest and open-area fires, floods, landslides, collapses, earthquakes, industrial accidents, and other emergency situations.

According to the minister, the number of recorded natural and man-made incidents increased from 4,517 in 2007 to 14,856 in 2024, reflecting growing urbanization and industrial activity. Despite this rise, the number of fatalities declined significantly - from 131 deaths in 2007 to 83 in 2024 - a trend Heydarov described as a key indicator of the ministry’s rapid and effective response capabilities.

Since its establishment and through 2024, the Ministry of Emergency Situations has rescued nearly 29,000 people during fires, collapses, and other emergencies, including around 5,700 individuals at risk of drowning in water bodies.

The minister also noted the growing public reliance on emergency services, stating that the ministry’s “112” emergency hotline received nearly 2.2 million calls last year, averaging more than 6,000 calls per day.