HEAD OF CRO FIRE-FIGHTER ASSOCIATION ON NEW FIRE-FIGHTING LAW

SKRADIN, Aug 10 (Hina) - According to a new fire-fighting law Croatia be divided into two zones, continental and Adriatic, the president of the Croatian Fire-Fighter Association, Franjo Greguric, told reporters in Skradin on Tuesday. Units of local government and self-government, municipalities and towns will take over from the state and counties the responsibility for organising fire-fighting systems, Greguric said. Before Skradin, Greguric checked fire-fighting units in several areas along the Croatian coast, accompanied by Assistant Interior Minister Miljenko Bukovac, and the chief commander of the Interior Ministry fire-fighting units, Mladen Jurin. Greguric said the state would assist local government and self- government units both with equipment and financially. All donors will be entitled to tax relief, he added. The state will in the future continue to be responsible for organising intervention and professional fire-fighting units, as well as for fire-fighting aircraft, Greguric told reporters. The three officials confirmed fire-fighting would remain within the Interior Ministry. Assistant Interior Minister Bukovac said there existed indications that some of this year's fires had been set, adding the crime police was looking for the arsonists. (hina) ha