Uzbekistan plans to reduce rescue team arrival times to 5–7 minutes in urban areas and 15–20 minutes outside city centers as part of measures to improve the country's emergency response system. The proposals were presented to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a presentation on improving emergency response services, according to the Presidential Press Service.
During the presentation, it was noted that urban expansion, technological development and climate change are creating new challenges for rescue services. The locations, facilities and equipment of some fire and rescue units currently do not fully meet the requirements for providing rapid assistance.
Mirziyoyev emphasized that saving human lives should be the primary criterion for upgrading the emergency response system. To achieve this, the presentation proposed introducing the "golden minute" principle, aimed at reducing rescue team arrival times to 5–7 minutes in urban areas and 15–20 minutes in areas outside city centers.
Source: Presidential Press Service
Plans were presented to reorganize and modernize 25 fire and rescue units located in districts and cities with populations exceeding 250,000. The modernization measures include providing these units with advanced equipment. The presentation also included a proposal to establish the Madad National Multidisciplinary Special Rescue Center, designed to operate in complex conditions. Additional proposals involve establishing an aviation-rescue unit and a research center for emergency management.
Attention was also given to improving the operations of the unified 112 emergency dispatch service. The proposed measures include tracking the entire process of handling emergency calls, from receipt to resolution, and strengthening information exchange among relevant services.
The presentation also highlighted the need to expand the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in emergency response operations. Following the presentation, Mirziyoyev instructed responsible officials to improve the operational responsiveness of rescue services.