OSCE Mission hands over 200 fire extinguishers to improve fire safety in Prishtinë/Priština neighbourhoods

Prishtinë / Priština, 17 October 2025

As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance public safety, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo handed over 200 fire extinguishers to collective housing buildings in Ulpiana and Sunny Hill neighbourhoods of Prishtinë/Priština municipality.

This initiative, implemented in co-operation with the Local Public Safety Committee (LPSC) Ulpiana and Sunny Hill neighbourhoods, aimed to improve fire safety and preparedness in the community, and is part of wider Mission efforts to support community safety initiatives by LPSCs.

These two neighbourhoods consist of many buildings with outdated and poorly maintained electrical installations and the lack of fire exit stairs, significantly increasing the risk of fire, thus making the donation essential for improving residents’ safety and preventing potential fire hazards.

In addition to the equipment donation, the initiative included training sessions delivered by local firefighters to teach the residents how to safely use fire extinguishers and assess when it is safe to intervene during a fire emergency.

“Our projects in support to LPSCs focus on addressing the priority needs of local communities, including vulnerable groups such as women, youth, the elderly, people with disabilities, and non-majority communities”, said Bertram Welsing, Director of the Department for Security and Public Safety in OSCE Mission in Kosovo. “Ultimately, they aim to help establish sustainable partnerships and ensure the effectiveness and credibility of LPSCs.”

LPSCs play a crucial role in enhancing collaboration between the police and communities by addressing local safety concerns and working to improve the overall quality of life across Kosovo.

For many years, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo has worked closely with the LPSCs to improve community safety, strengthen police-community partnerships, and tackle security issues at the local level.