On International Firefighters’ Day, the Chair of the Firefighters’ Union in Kosovo, Muharrem Beka, said that firefighters in the country continue to face a lack of a clearly defined legal status, insufficient staffing, missing equipment, and difficult working conditions, reports Rks News.
Beka stressed that the situation in the sector remains disorganized and burdened with long-standing unresolved demands, pointing to structural and institutional problems.
He said firefighters in Kosovo are still in an unclear legal position despite a draft law on firefighters and rescue services having passed the Assembly but not yet entering into force. According to him, they are neither classified as civil servants nor as public employees, although they are treated under civil service conditions.
Beka also highlighted a “dual system” between local and central levels of governance, explaining that salaries are paid by municipalities while personnel are managed through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Emergency Management Agency.
He further warned that the number of firefighters is too low to meet legal standards, stating that the ratio should be one firefighter per 1,500 residents. He added that the workforce is aging, with an average age close to 50, and that firefighters lack health and disability insurance, as well as proper recognition of occupational risk.
“Problems have accumulated, the situation remains the same, and we are right to ask until when this will continue,” Beka said, adding that current conditions prevent firefighters from fully carrying out their mission of saving lives and property.
He also called for better coordination between local and central institutions, arguing that unclear responsibilities create financial and operational obstacles. According to him, even recruitment processes for new firefighters depend on whether municipalities have sufficient budgets, leading to unequal staffing across regions.
Beka also criticized the lack of institutional activities marking Firefighters’ Day and warned that some municipalities operate with extremely low numbers of firefighters, sometimes only a few per shift.
