Shavkat Mirziyoyev has set the task of cutting rescuers’ arrival times to 5-7 minutes in urban areas and 15-20 minutes outside city centers, after reviewing a presentation on emergency response and reservoir safety on Tuesday.
The head of state said saving human lives must be the main criterion in modernizing the system, and called for the “golden minute” rule to be implemented.
The presentation said urban expansion, technological development and climate change are creating new challenges for the rescue service, and that the locations, buildings and equipment of some fire and rescue units fall short of rapid-response requirements.
Plans include reorganizing and re-equipping 25 fire and rescue units in districts and cities with more than 250,000 residents. Officials also proposed a national multi-profile special rescue center called “Madad,” an aviation rescue unit and a research center for emergency management. The unified “112” dispatch service would be improved, with wider use of artificial intelligence.
Only four of 56 reservoirs have rescue services, the presentation said. It proposed building a professional rescue system at the Karkidon reservoir as a model, and training rescue divers through dual education.
Tourism operates at five reservoirs, and another 25 could host it. Officials proposed certifying tourism services, requiring businesses to contract professional rescuers, and installing rescue boats, watchtowers and depth markers.
Proposed incentives include paying half of land and property taxes until October 1, 2029, and deferring customs duties on GPS, rescue and safety equipment for 120 days or paying them in installments. Proceeds from land sales in these areas would fund utility networks and roads.
Mirziyoyev gave instructions on speeding up rescue work, setting up professional rescue services at reservoirs and defining safety requirements at tourism facilities.
Twenty-five reservoirs have been inspected on site. Local warning systems, video surveillance, seismological equipment and digital monitoring tools will be deployed more widely to detect hazardous changes early.
