Civil Defense members spray water after wildfires burned large swathes of Lebanon’s pine forests in northern Qobeiyat in July 2021. (Credit: Walid Saleh/Reuters)
BEIRUT — Volunteers of the Civil Defense held a sit-in Monday noon at Riad al-Solh square in Downtown Beirut and announced an open strike until they get “full health insurance coverage” and until their fellow volunteer Iyad al-Masri, who was detained on June 12 following a car accident he was involved in which killed three people and injured five others, gets released, a Civil Defense spokesperson told L’Orient Today on Monday.
Here’s what we know:
• According to the Civil Defense spokesperson, the accident took place as al-Masri’s Civil Defense vehicle was heading to the Hammana area to extinguish a car on fire before a van driver decided to overtake the vehicle from the left. “I think the driving laws are with us as the priority is always for the Civil Defense vehicles when they are on duty,” the spokesperson said. “I think the reason Iyad is still detained is because the security forces are waiting for things to calm down before they release him but this also is not fair for Iyad or other Civil Defense volunteers.”
• The spokesperson also told L’Orient Today that the volunteers are also calling for getting full insurance rather than the way it is now where as he explained Civil Defense volunteers will only be covered while on duty. “It is really weird since the volunteers are not officially employed and don’t de-facto get full insurance when they actually work more than any other public employee.”
• Regarding the employment of the volunteers, the spokesperson said that the file of officially employing Civil Defense volunteers “is being worked on within its legal aspect and the names of those who will have to do an exam to get accepted will be announced soon.”