Enstrom (M): We will use all resources – Swedish Dagbladet

Enstrom (M): We will use all resources – Swedish Dagbladet

Defense Karin Enstrom (M) on Monday visited Ramna in Surahammars municipality together with the Minister for Rural Affairs Eskil Erlandsson (C) to see how the rescue work is carried out.

– This is disturbing and a serious situation. Here it is primarily to focus on saving lives so that not more people get hurt, and then property, says Karin Enstrom to SvD.

After seen the forest fire up close she notes that nature has “powerful forces” and that the strong smoke making it “stand in the nose and eyes.”

Karin Enstrom says that the place has a good synergy, a functioning management organization and also other parts that form the basis for an emergency preparedness.

Can the state provide more resources?

– The staff and material from the Swedish Civil and preparedness, from the Armed Forces and from the EU with forest fire fighting flights that will be on the road. And there are also two Norwegian helicopters with fire fighting capability is entering. There are also personnel from the emergency services outside the county. It is a good collaboration, says Karin Enstrom.

– We are naturally responsive here. And then there is then the normal decision-making channels and it is now the provincial government as on demand has taken over management responsibility away from the local area. Here we of course be willing to see if there are additional resources that will be required, she continues.

In his role as defense minister, how do you ensure that the Armed Forces have been operating in a situation like this?

– It is very important to use society’s combined resources as effectively as possible in such a difficult situation. And where has the Armed Forces personnel and material to contribute. And we have seen that both contribute from the Home Guard page and also helicopter squadron with several helicopters and personnel to help. It is a task that the Armed Forces have, we will use all the resources in the face of such large stresses.

She thanks especially those who was involved in rescue efforts on Monday, where Enstrom understood that the operation to rescue the five forestry workers who jumped into a lake to escape the fire was particularly difficult.

– What I’ve seen is a vast and complicated rescue work and the will require continued effort, how long is difficult to assess. And then you get of course retrospectively evaluate what worked well and what worked less well.