According to KhabarOnline, the Public Relations of the Environmental Protection Organization reported that Brigadier General Reza Rastgar highlighted the role of environmental protection forces, stating: “One of our honors this year has been the active and round-the-clock presence of all forces from the central and provincial protection units during the 12-day imposed war by the child-killing Zionist regime and the criminal American government, where they demonstrated their readiness to defend the integrity of the country alongside other armed forces.”
The commander of the Environmental Protection Organization’s protection unit discussed the enhancement of the unit’s capabilities, saying: “This year, we successfully purchased 35 foreign operational vehicles funded by the unit’s budget and distributed them across the provinces. Additionally, we are pursuing the purchase and distribution of 200 domestically assembled operational vehicles, which is expected to be realized by the end of the year 1404.”
He added: “We have ensured the centralized supply and distribution of deserving uniforms for the forces. Furthermore, to enhance safety and document violations, a project to equip environmental guards with body cameras has commenced. This preventive measure will increase accuracy in dealing with offenders and documenting environmental crimes.”
The implementation of a pilot project to organize official weapons in the provinces of Tehran, Semnan, and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, as well as the evaluation and approval of 2,500 environmental guards for the issuance of weapon carrying permits and personal defense equipment, are other significant logistics initiatives.
The commander of the country’s environmental protection unit emphasized the priority of the personnel’s livelihood and welfare, stating: “The identification, compilation, and submission of personnel’s entitlement documents to the Budget and Planning Center, as well as following up on medical compensation claims, compensation for personnel convictions, and financial assistance to environmental guards, are among the ongoing efforts. Additionally, the list of environmental guards across the country has been meticulously reviewed and submitted for benefits related to shift work, food rations, and overtime.”
He also mentioned the follow-up on matters concerning the civil liability insurance of unit forces in the provinces as an important supportive umbrella.
Rastgar announced the celebration of National Environmental Guard Day on November 8, 2024, in the holy city of Mashhad, stating: “During this grand ceremony, held according to the official calendar, the families of martyrs, veterans, and outstanding national and provincial environmental guards will be honored.”
In the area of training environmental guards, he noted: “The first-ever conference of the country’s protection unit commanders was held in collaboration with the Law Enforcement Force in the holy city of Qom, and the revival of basic training courses for environmental guards after a 9-year hiatus is among the significant educational achievements. Moreover, for the first time, a capacity-building workshop for conscript soldiers was conducted, resulting in a total of over 70,000 hours of environmental education being recorded.”
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