The 1,000th member of a municipal volunteer corps was trained in Gistel, West Flanders, on Saturday, as 110 Flemish municipalities signed up to create local teams to help in emergencies.
The volunteer corps are made up of trained local residents who can be deployed in a range of crisis situations, including floods, heatwaves and power cuts.
The initiative is supported by Red Cross Flanders, which helps municipalities set up the teams and train volunteers. During an initial training day, volunteers are briefed on their role and responsibilities when an emergency occurs in their town or city.
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The scheme was launched by Flemish Interior Minister Hilde Crevits. She said the teams had already proved their value during the recent heatwave.
So far, 110 municipalities have signed a co-operation agreement with the Red Cross. In 53 of them, residents have already completed their first training and the volunteer corps are now ready to be deployed.
Local authorities decide for themselves which skills are needed most in their area. In Gistel, where the 1,000th volunteer was trained on Saturday morning, Mayor Gauthier Defreyne said the corps would provide extra support to inform residents, offer practical help and assist vulnerable people.
Since the launch of the scheme, local authorities have issued 23 calls to their volunteer corps, resulting in 70 specific tasks.
According to Crevits, the corps were particularly useful during the heatwave, when they helped local services and supported efforts to protect vulnerable residents.
Volunteers have already been deployed in places including Lubbeek, Kortenberg and Oudenaarde. In Roeselare, they went door to door to warn residents when tap water was temporarily unsafe to drink.
