The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia (MES) ( hy, Հայաստանի արտակարգ իրավիճակների նախարարություն) is a government agency overseeing the civil emergency services in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

. The ministry was formed by

presidential decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

on 21 April 2008.

History

The ministry was preceded by the Headquarters of the Civil Defense, which has operated in the

Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...

since 1961. The

1988 Armenian earthquake The 1988 Armenian earthquake, also known as the Spitak earthquake ( hy, Սպիտակի երկրաշարժ, ), occurred on December 7 at with a surface wave magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum MSK intensity of X (''Devastating''). The shock occurre ...

(also commonly known as the Spitak Earthquake) revealed many issues related to the civil defense system in

Soviet Armenia The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...

and became the main force behind the restructuring of the Emergency Management Department of the

Government of Armenia A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, Executive (government), e ...

. Following the

Declaration of State Sovereignty of Armenia The Declaration of State Sovereignty of Armenia was signed by Armenia's president Levon Ter-Petrossian and Supreme Council of Armenia secretary Ara Sahakian on August 23, 1990 in Yerevan, Armenia. The Republic of Armenia was established on Septemb ...

by the

Supreme Council of Armenia The Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR ( hy, ՀԽՍՀ Գերագույն խորհուրդ, HKhSH Geraguyn khorhurd; russian: Верховный Совет Армянской ССР) was the supreme soviet (main legislative institution) of the Ar ...

, the Emergency Department was established with Stepan Badalyan its first head. On September 4, 1997, a rescue rapid reaction unit is created, with its main tasks being to perform rescue operations in the disaster zone, as well as rendering professional assistance to the population in case of emergency incidents in the shortest possible time. In 1994,

became a full member of the

International Civil Defence Organization The International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO) is an intergovernmental organization with the objective to contribute to the development by States of structures ensuring the protection and assistance of population and safeguarding property and ...

. In December 2005, the Emergency Management Department was renamed to the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Territorial Administration of the Republic of Armenia. Newly elected Armenian President

Serzh Sargsyan Serzh Azati Sargsyan ( hy, Սերժ Ազատի Սարգսյան, ; born 30 June 1954)Of ...

restructured the service on 21 April 2008 as the Ministry of Emergency Situations, with Mher Shahgeldyan being the first Minister of Emergency Situations. The ministry was merged with the Ministry of Territorial Administration in December 2014 only to become an independent agency two years later.

Mission and structure

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia coordinates its services with the law of the

Republic of Armenia A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

in the sphere of citizenship and protection of citizens in the context of emergency situations. It serves to evacuate Armenian citizens during natural disasters and accidents. The ministry is composed of 5 main agencies: * Rescue Service * National Seismic Protection Service * Armgosgidromet * State Reserves Agency * National Center for Technical Security

Rescue Service

The Rescue Service is an auxiliary to the

Armed Forces of Armenia The Armed Forces of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի զինված ուժեր, Hayastani zinvats uzher), sometimes referred to as the Armenian Army ( hy, Հայկական Բանակ, Haykakan Banak), is the national military of Armenia. It consist ...

. The ministry utilizes

Stepanavan Airport Stepanavan Airport is a civil airport serving the city of Stepanavan and the province of Lori, in the country of Armenia. It is located northwest of the center of Stepanavan. In 2014, reconstruction of the administrative buildings of "Stepana ...

Lori Province Lori ( hy, Լոռի, ), is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. Other important towns include Stepanavan, Alaverdi, and Spitak ...

to support the rescue services by fighting wildfires. Fire-fighting aircraft based there includes

Beriev Be-200 The Beriev Be-200 ''Altair'' (russian: Бериев Бе-200) is a utility amphibious aircraft designed and built by the Beriev Aircraft Company. Marketed as being designed for fire fighting, search and rescue, maritime patrol, cargo, and pass ...

aircraft, which is in the process of being purchased by the

Russian government The Government of Russia exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers. It has its legal basis in the Constitution of the Russia ...

National Seismic Protection Service

The National Seismic Protection Service is engaged in seismic risk assessment as well as earthquake impact assessment. It has offices in

Gyumri Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

Kapan Kapan ( hy, Կապան) is a town in southeast Armenia, serving as the administrative center of the urban community of Kapan as well as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji River and is on the nort ...

, and

Stepanakert / az, Xankəndi, italic=no , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = File:StepanakertCollage.jpg , imagesize = 300px , image_caption = From top left: Holy Mother ...

. The service operates seismic stations at the

Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) (), also known as the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, (Armenian: Մեծամորի ատոմային էլեկտրակայան) is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus, located 36 kilometers west o ...

, the only

nuclear power plant A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a electric generator, generato ...

in the

South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...

Armgosgidromet

The Service of the Hydrometeorology and Active Influence on Atmospheric Phenomena (SNCO) or Armgosgidromet is the national

meteorological Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...

service of Armenia, responsible for gathering

hydrometeorological Hydrometeorology is a branch of meteorology and hydrology that studies the transfer of water and energy between the land surface and the lower atmosphere. Hydrology, Hydrologists often use data provided by meteorologists. As an example, a meteorol ...

information.

State Reserves Agency

The State Reserves Agency of the Ministry of Emergency Situations is the legal successor of

branch of the Soviet Material Reserves State Committee (now the Federal Agency for State Reserves).It was founded in 1992 when by government decision the Armenian branch was reformed into State Reserves Administration. In 2002, it began operating under the

Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the finance. Lists of current ministries of finance Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Finance and Eco ...

. It moved in 2005 under the structure of the

Ministry of Territorial Administration The Ministry of Territorial Administration is one of the 35 Ministries existing in Cameroon. Preparation, implementation and assessment of Government policy on territorial administration, decentralization and civil protection is within the framework ...

. Before becoming part of MES in 2008.

National Center for Technical Security

The National Center of Technical Security is a non-commercial organization founded on 29 December 2005.

Symbols

Medals

The ministry provides 9 awards for exceptional employees of the ministry. * Medal "Cross of Glory Noah" * Medal "For the Commonwealth in the Name of Salvation" * Medal "For impeccable service" * Medal "The best fireman-rescuer" * Medal "The brave rescuer" * Medal "Honored Employee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia" * Medal "Prevention, assistance, rescue" * Medal "Veteran of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia" * Badge "First class rescuer"

Music

Like the

Armenian Army The Armed Forces of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի զինված ուժեր, Hayastani zinvats uzher), sometimes referred to as the Armenian Army ( hy, Հայկական Բանակ, Haykakan Banak), is the national military of Armenia. It consist ...

and the

Police of Armenia The Police of the Republic of Armenia () is the national police of Armenia. The acting head is Vahe Ghazaryan, in office since 8 June 2020. History Soviet era The first police service of Armenia was formed in 1918, under the Ministry of Intern ...

, the rescue service of the ministry has a 48 member, ceremonial brass band (''Poghatin Nvagaxumb'') which works during public ceremonies involving the ministry. It is led by Colonel Manvel Utujyan, who previously served in the band of the

Internal Troops The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD) (russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviat ...

. The brass band was founded in 2010 by Minister Armen Yeritsyan.

List of ministers

1991–2008

* Major General Vyacheslav Harutyunyan (July 1997 – February 2001) * Major General Hmayak Aroyan (February 2001 – March 2004) * Major General Edik Barseghyan (March 2004 – 21 April 2008)

2008–Present

* Mher Shahgeldyan (21 April 2008 – March 2010) * Armen Yeritsyan (March 2010 – 13 December 2016) (''Died in office'') *

David Tonoyan David Edgari Tonoyan (Armenian:Դավիթ Էդգարի Տոնոյան; born 27 December 1967) is an Armenian political figure and former Defence Minister of Armenia, in office from 2018 to 2020. Biography Early life and career David Tonoyan ...

(6 February 2017 – 10 May 2018) * Hrachya Rostomyan (10 May 2018 – 3 October 2018) * ''Vacant'' (3 – 4 October 2018) * Feliks Tsolakyan (4 October 2018 – 20 November 2020) * Andranik Piloyan (20 November 2020 - 1 April 2022) * Armen Pambukhchyan (12 April 2022 - Present)

References

External links

Armenian Ministry of Emergency SituationsMinistry of Emergency Situations channel
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

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{{Government of Armenia Government ministries of Armenia Ministries established in 2008 2008 establishments in Armenia