The 35th anniversary of the Mobile Emergency Service for Reanimation and Extrication (SMURD) was hosted by the Romanian Crown Custodian Margareta, at the Elisabeta Palace, occasion on which head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) Raed Arafat brought to mind that 'SMURD started from a crazy idea,' with the goal of saving lives, 'the most noble goal possible.'

'SMURD started from an idea, from a crazy idea: let us start a team to resuscitate people. And everything because I saw people arriving at the hospital, I saw what wasn't being done at the emergency reception, I felt that something was missing. And then, I started together with a team of volunteers and the support of some very valuable people. (...) But also, with many young colleagues who saw something new and wanted to work, to do something in this new model which emerged and who came day and night, worked shifts for free, went to interventions, did everything possible and saw the results in front of them, they saw how a life is saved,' Raed Arafat confessed.

He mentioned that at the beginning, SMURD needed collaboration with all institutions.

He added that SMURD brought together people from various backgrounds with a single goal: 'Saving life, the most noble goal possible.'

Prince Radu Duda underscored that these past 35 years of 'SMURD family' in Romania are also the most surprising and complicated years in our entire modern history.

'I believe that today is being celebrated not only this crucial part of our contemporary history which was written after December '89, but also three and a half decades of strengthening Romania's dignity, strengthening our freedoms, democracy, our status as full member of the dignified families, the dignified nations of the globe, those which make up the European Union, those which make up the North-Atlantic Alliance. (...) There is no institution in our modern and contemporary history that is more impartial, more generous, and more closely tied to the history of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the service branches under its administration, some of which have been in existence for three centuries,' Prince Duda stated.

Prince Radu Duda mentioned that he conveys his admiration and congratulations to the members of the 'SMURD family' for the way they carry out their duty.

'I believe that along with the congratulations we must offer to the SMURD family in Romania and the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, I would like you to receive, on behalf of Her Majesty and myself, our admiration and congratulations for the beautiful, competent, modest and profound manner in which you carry out your duty, not just you, but also your colleagues who are not celebrated today, especially from the branches that historically represent a pillar of the Crown over these three centuries,' Prince Radu Duda stated.

Also attending the event was Vice Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu who stated that he is honored to participate in the celebration of 35 years of SMURD, '35 years of assiduous work, vision, perseverance, 35 years of race-against-time battles for life and for lives.'

He also brought to mind the performances which SMURD achieved: over 500,000 interventions annually, in the past years, tens of thousands of lives saved.

'This thing is possible because SMURD does not work alone, it works as part of a team, it works alongside doctors, paramedics, nurses, ambulance drivers, pilots and rescue firefighters, supported in the great family of the Ministry of Internal Affairs by the colleagues within the Police, the Gendarmerie, the Border Police when needed, by the entire mechanism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs which has been built, fine-tuned over time and which works every day with tens of thousands of people in order to protect and to save,' Catalin Predoiu mentioned.

At the end of the event, DSU head Raed Arafat presented the Custodian of the Crown, Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu Duda with an anniversary plaque marking '35 years of SMURD.' AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Petronius Craiu; EN - writing by: Rodica State)