Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan said, "We share the pride of 1,500 of our colleagues successfully completing the first phase of training. But this is only a strong start. Our goal is to equip a total of 10,000 of our colleagues with this training by the end of 2027."
EYÜPSULTAN / ISTANBUL
The "Disaster Awareness and Education Activities Vest and Patch Award Ceremony" took place at AKOM with the participation of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan, IMM executives, and employees. The ceremony, which began with a moment of silence and the National Anthem, continued with speeches.
Ergün Cebeci, the head of AKOM (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Disaster Coordination Center), who gave the first speech at the podium, said, “Our personnel have successfully learned many critically important topics through practical training, from tent pitching techniques to surface search and rescue, from injured evacuation procedures to first aid and the use of modern search and rescue equipment. Now, each of them is not just a municipal employee, but a first responder and a source of trust for their families, colleagues, and neighbors in the event of a possible disaster.”
Nuri Aslan, who began his speech by saying, “This morning I was at the hearing of our elected mayor of Istanbul Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, and his colleagues. I brought you his greetings,” continued, “We are going through a difficult process, but we are overcoming this period shoulder to shoulder thanks to your faith and efforts. From the very first day, you have been working day and night with all your might for both the future of Istanbul and the rights of 16 million Istanbul residents. I thank each and every one of you.”
“REMEMBERING MUST BE TRANSFORMED INTO CONCRETE PREPARATION AND DECISIVE ACTION”
Recalling the hardships of the August 17, 1999 Marmara Earthquake, Aslan said, “Exactly 27 years ago, on that dark night of August 17, an indelible pain struck all of our hearts. Marmara shook; we lost thousands of lives, and the lives of countless families were irrevocably changed in a single night. Years have passed, but the historical responsibility that disaster placed on our shoulders is as fresh as yesterday: Never again be unprepared. We have not forgotten that pain, and we will not forget it. But we know very well that remembering alone is not enough; remembering must be transformed into concrete preparation and decisive action,” and continued:
“A single piece of technical knowledge you learn here, a conscious intervention you make in the field, and a calm decision you make in those seconds will save a person's life. Today, we share the pride of 1,500 of our colleagues successfully completing the first stage of their training. But this is not just about strong preparation.” This is just the beginning. Our goal is to equip a total of 10,000 of our colleagues with these trainings by the end of 2027. Why did we set such a goal? Because Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, with its Fire Department, Municipal Police, İSKİ (Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration), İSBAK (Istanbul Sanitation and Maintenance Agency), thousands of employees working in the field, and district municipalities, is a colossal institution that touches every street of this city. Every employee within this large structure who knows what to do in the event of a disaster will further strengthen Istanbul's resilience. The 1,500 colleagues graduating today are the first link in this strong defense chain. With this belief, I wholeheartedly congratulate each of my 1,500 colleagues who dedicated their time to the training, listened attentively to every piece of information, and undertook this sacred responsibility for the lives of others.”
The ceremony concluded with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan symbolically presenting patches to the IMM employees who successfully completed their training.
