Embassy Press Release

REMARKS OF US AMBASSADOR NICHOLAS TAUBMAN ON THE OCCASION OF THE DONATION OF POLARIS FIREEXPRESS ATVs TO THE GENERAL INSPECTORARE FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Bucharest, June 26, 2007

Your Excellency Soknan Han Jung,
Lieutenant General Vladimir Secara,
Members of the press:

Thank you very much for coming today to witness another example of the great co-operation between Romania and the United States.

I want to express my gratitude to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations for being such a great host and making this event possible today.

As a tribute to all the brave firefighters of Romania, the American company POLARIS is showing its continued commitment to sustain their efforts in saving lives. We have all heard about the courage of these wonderful men coping not only with the devastating effects of fire using outdated equipment, but risking their lives so that others can sleep more peacefully. Not long ago we were all touched by the news of the efforts of one of your own members who was responsible for saving the life of a small child who had fallen into a well in the village of Sintesti.

Extraordinary people need extraordinary equipment. This is why Polaris today is making available the first POLARIS FIREXPRESS system to the Romanian firefighters.

This equipment provides a needed alternative for extinguishing fires in remote areas where no other conventional vehicle can go. It is widely used in communities in which the usual fire truck would be rendered useless due to its size. For rural communities of Romania, it would be an accessible vehicle able to intervene in forests, confined spaces and mountainous areas where no entry roads exist that are capable of supporting a conventional vehicle.

I am very proud of the Polaris Company and grateful to the UNDP for making this important donation to the Romanian people and I know that it will help in saving more lives.

Thank you.

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