It's hard to extinguish: conscripts may be called up to the Ministry of Emergency Situations as early as 2026

Some conscripts are planning to be recruited to extinguish fires and eliminate the consequences of emergency situations, the first such call may take place as early as 2026, Izvestia learned. They will serve not in the units of the Ministry of Defense, but in the fire brigade. The reason is the shortage of personnel of the fire service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations: out of the required 98 thousand specialists, only 75 thousand are staffed. The initiative of the deputies is supported by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

What functions will be assigned to conscripts in the Ministry of Emergency Situations

The first conscription of conscripts in the Ministry of Emergency Situations may take place this year. After the necessary training, they are planned to be employed as firefighters and drivers of fire trucks. Izvestia got acquainted with the details of the bill, which is being prepared for submission to the State Duma by Anatoly Vyborny, deputy chairman of the Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, a representative of the United Russia faction. Earlier, its appearance was announced by the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Alexander Kurenkov.

According to the explanatory note, the EMERCOM system currently includes a grouping of fire and rescue units of the Federal Fire Service (FPS), which includes territorial, facility, contractual, special and military units. However, as noted in the document, in practice they mostly work in closed administrative-territorial entities, on federal territory or at particularly important and sensitive facilities.

Under control all year round: The State Duma approved the law on continuous conscription

Among other innovations, there is an approved deadline of 30 days for reporting to the military enlistment office.

"Taking into account the geopolitical situation in the world and potential threats from unfriendly countries, in order to protect citizens and economic facilities, including in areas of armed conflict and in close proximity to them, the bill proposes to expand the area of responsibility of military units," explains the need in the document.

In recent years, the Ministry of Emergency Situations has seen a trend of staff outflow from the rank and file and junior senior staff of the FPS. On average, the number decreases by 3-5% per year, it is emphasized in the explanatory note.

"The low staffing level of the guards on duty leads to a decrease in their capabilities at the place of call, which can lead to an increase in the fire area, injury to people, as well as increased damage. At the same time, the understaffing of departments on fire trucks does not allow creating a sufficient number of gas and smoke protection service units in case of fire, which leads to an increase in rescue time and a decrease in the quality of intelligence," the document emphasizes.

In some territorial bodies of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, cases of temporary suspension of work of fire and rescue units due to a shortage of personnel have already been recorded. The explanatory note to the bill notes that the proposed changes will allow the FPS units to be staffed with conscripts and reduce the existing shortage of personnel.

It is planned that the bill will be submitted to the State Duma in April and adopted in the spring session, Anatoly Vyborny told Izvestia.

— If the bill is passed before July, then within three months the subordinate regulations will be brought into line with the law, in this case, in the fall of this year, conscripts will be able to fall under the effect of these amendments. If the adoption of new standards is delayed, then they will start working for conscripts only from 2027," the parliamentarian explained.

He also noted that the military personnel of the FPS will be involved in the performance of tasks depending on the health group, the level of training and only after passing preliminary training, as well as passing all necessary permits.

Why is there a shortage of rescuers in Russia?

The bill was supported by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, who gave it positive feedback.

— Currently, there is a difficult situation in Russia with the staffing of the federal fire service units. Of the 98,000 firefighters and drivers, only 75,000 are staffed. First of all, this is due to the uncompetitive level of salaries, as well as a number of restrictions imposed on employees," Vyacheslav Butko, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, explained to Izvestia the need to develop a draft law.

According to him, conscripts serving in the fire department will be involved in extinguishing fires and eliminating the consequences of emergencies as firefighters and drivers of fire trucks from the first year of service after completing the necessary training. They will serve together with the personnel of the guards on duty in the fire departments of the subjects of the Russian Federation on the basis of the existing units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

— Of course, all those undergoing such urgent service will be provided with everything necessary, including uniforms, food and medical care. At the same time, the time of service for them will be counted, as well as for other military personnel of the Ministry of Defense, within the framework of pension legislation," the deputy minister explained.

Without spring and autumn: how will military service in Russia change from 2026

The State Duma approved the transition to a new year-round conscription system

As the media reported, citing data from the Department of Supervision and Preventive Work of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 317,311 fires occurred in Russia in the 12 months of 2025. 6,521 people died in them, including 295 minors. A total of 22,691 people and 183,088 people, respectively, were rescued and evacuated.

"This initiative can be positively assessed, as there really are not enough personnel in the Ministry of Emergency Situations," Denis von Meck, an independent expert on fire safety, told Izvestia.

According to him, the plus is that people who have joined the Ministry of Emergency Situations will be able to get acquainted with a new profession; perhaps they will like it and decide to stay in this field. At the same time, he noted that, in addition to the personnel problem, there is also the problem of underfunding services, which is relevant not only for Russia. In many countries, volunteers are actively involved in fighting fires, the expert explained. He added that the vast territories of Russia do not allow for the same level of fire protection, for example, in the center of Siberia and in Moscow.

Maxim Winter, Chairman of the Delovaya Rossiya Fire Safety Commission, also believes that enlisting conscripts in the Ministry of Emergency Situations would help partially solve the personnel problem, since there are not enough personnel to extinguish fires. According to him, the risks for such soldiers are comparable to those in military service. At the same time, he stressed that their training and instruction should be carried out by professional firefighters who, in emergency situations, will be able to make competent management decisions.