Increased security measures on festive grounds are taken in Kazan

(KZN.RU, December 26, Alsu Safina). Particular attention in the preparations for the New Year’s holidays in Kazan will be put on measures to ensure the safety. Alexei Sokolov, the head of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the RF Office on Kazan, said at today's Business Monday that the issue of equipping roads to crowded places with anti-ram designs or heavy-duty motor vehicles is under development. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, urged all leaders and business community to heed the recommendations of the Civil Protection Department to comply with fire safety measures.

“We are seeing some unprecedented measures are taken on the Christmas’s eve in Europe, and what additional measures for people protection are taken in Moscow”, said the Mayor at the last staff meeting this year. “I ask all heads of the Executive Committee departments, as well as colleagues from the republican authorities, federal enterprises, and the business community to listen to recommendations which sound ahead of the holidays, especially from the Civil Protection Department”. The Mayor reminded that three people, including an 8-year-old child, suffered as a result of careless use of fireworks in Kazan last year, despite all the taken measures.

From December 15 to January 10, a special fire-fighting mode operates in Kazan, and from December 28 to January 9 all of the Kazan firefighters and rescue workers transferred into enhanced mode.

Ferdinand Timurhanov, the head of the Civil Protection Department, reported that all 424 sites in Kazan, which will host the New Year and Christmas holidays, were tested by fire control authorities and gained admission to the holding of the event.

Employees of the supervising of the Kazan activities department will provide security for 155 objects, on the other sites the duty will be provided by staff of the Kazan Garrison Fire and Rescue and the search and rescue teams at the Civil Protection Department. “In general, the necessary grouping of forces and means in the amount of 1,172 military personnel and 189 units of the main special equipment was designed to provide security during the celebrations in Kazan”, said the head of the Civil Protection Department.

Aleksei Sokolov, the head of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the RF Office on Kazan, said that more than 700 employees of the Office, as well as municipal officials on protection of public order and the military troops of the Russian National Guard will be involved in the New Year's Eve in the protection of public order. The reserve is formed on the case of complications. Kazan garrison moved to the stronger mode of service during the period of preparation and conduct of the New Year and Christmas events.

Safety in the 34 Orthodox churches during Christmas services will provide by 230 employees of the Kazan police on the night of 6 to 7 January.

In total, nearly a thousand police officers and attached forces will be involved on a daily basis during the New Year's weekend at the protection of public order and the safety of residents and visitors of Kazan.

“All design, attractions and ice structures in crowded places will be tested in order to detect explosive devices, as well as their safety and suitability for use with registration of the acts of readiness”, said Alexei Sokolov. He also said that all of the objects and surrounding areas, on which celebrations will be held, are being surveyed by cynologists with specially trained service dogs. Examination, using stationary and hand-held metal detectors, will be carried out on the checkpoints for the purpose of seizure of the prohibited items, including pyrotechnics.

Since the opening and until January 14, all city Christmas trees will be taken under the clock security by paired posts. Routes of patrol police squads will be as close as possible to the places of celebrations, density of squads is intensified, reported the head of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the RF Office on Kazan.