Russia will have the world’s largest fire-fighting air grouping and volunteer fireman group of about 800 thousand people in 2012, RIA Novosti reports. It has been reported by the head of EMERCOM of Russia, Sergey Shoygu.

He has reported to the president of Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, about results of EMERCOM’s activities in 2011, including performance of technical re-equipping program, on Tuesday.

"We are performing the program. We have fully completed its part for 2011. As a result, we have acquired 2 new Be-200 aircraft, eight helicopters and more than 800 advanced vehicles", - Shoygu said.

Medvedev asked how many fire-fighting aircraft Russia has. Shoygu said that not only EMERCOM has such vehicles, but also the other administrations.

"In accordance with your instruction, we have allocated funds for retrofitting the other administrations’ aircraft for fire-fighting. 14 heavy aircraft and 124 helicopters are ready for fire-fighting in 2012", - said the minister.

Medvedev has noted that it is the world’s largest fire-fighting air grouping.

Shoygu also said that EMERCOM has already equipped more than 2000 automotive vehicles, previously owned by the Ministry of Defense, with fire-fighting equipment.

EMERCOM plans to re-equip 1000 more such vehicles, the minister noted.

He also told about training of volunteer fire-fighting brigades, which is being carried out in all 83 federal subjects.

"This work is in progress and it is going on well. We hope to have about 800 thousand volunteer firemen by the end of 2012", - Shoygu said.

The economic incentives are usually used for recruitment to the volunteer fire-fighting brigades: deliverance from utility payments, monetary benefits, free fuel and feed stuff at cost.