A meeting of the government with a wide composition and the purpose of informing about the progress of the current fire season, as well as the intensive preparations that preceded it, took place in the city of St. Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection under Minister Evangelos Turnas.

At the beginning of the meeting, a detailed briefing was given on the operational readiness of the Fire Department, which this year has been additionally strengthened in terms of forces and means. Particularly with regards to the leased aircraft, which will be more in number, it was emphasized that the NSPA leasing process was completed on time, at a reasonable price and with 100% fulfillment of the 2023 target. In fact, the first helicopter was discovered in our country on May 1, that is, with the start of extinguishing the fire and earlier than ever.

As already mentioned, the increase in the available air fleet, for which the European Commission funding for RescEU was used, which was also strengthened this year, accordingly contributes to the increase in airborne preventive surveillance on high risk days, which was envisaged along with ground patrols with the participation of the Armed Forces. The goal is to prevent arson, report the fire in time and take immediate first steps.

In addition, it was indicated that in ground surveillance, as well as in operations to extinguish forest fires, European firefighters who will be in our country in July and August, within the framework of the Preparation Program for the installation of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, will support their Greek counterparts in this year. Thus, more than 200 firefighters from 6 countries (Bulgaria, France, Germany, Malta, Slovakia and Romania) will be pre-installed for this purpose, as well as for the exchange of know-how in Nea Makri, Thessaloniki and Ancient Olympia.

The Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Mr. Tournas, briefed the participants in detail on the preparations and actions that have been taken in general since the beginning of the year, when the strategic planning for this year’s fire season began. Planning based on the new Prevention, Preparedness/Preparedness, Resilience doctrine, coupled with Immediate Response to Emergencies, which was successfully implemented last year. extensive preventive cleanups, which are once again taking place this year in sensitive forest ecosystems – in conjunction with projects to maintain and open forest roads and fire zones – as well as in archaeological sites. At the same time, the competent Ministry of the Interior highlighted the timely and increased by 40% funding provided – for the first time since March – to the municipalities for preventive fire protection measures.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State Vasilios Skouris, Minister of National Defense Alkiviadis Stefanis, Minister of Environment and Energy Pantelis Kapros and Minister of Culture and Sports Georgios Kumentakis.

Secretary General for Government Coordination Thanasis Kontogeorgis, Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior Michael Stavrianudakis, Secretary General of Civil Protection Vassilios Papageorgiou, Secretary General of Culture Georgios Didaskalou, Secretary General of Forests Konstantinos also attended in person. and via teleconference, Evangelos Arabosis and Head of the General Directorate of Forests and Forest Environment Evangelos Goudoufas.

In addition, Chief of the General Staff, General Konstantin Floros, Chief of the Greek Police, Lieutenant General Lazaros Mavropoulos, Fire Chief, Lieutenant General George Pournaras, Deputy Chief of the PS, Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Republic Police, Chief of the Hellenic Police, Director of the 1st Division of GEETHA, General Major Prokopios Mavraganis, ESKEDIK Commander Major General Theodoros Vagias, Head of Fire Operations Major General Athanasios Balafas and Director of Emergency Response Planning of the General Directorate of Emergency Situations Dimitris Alexandris.

In the field of European cooperation, in addition to the continuation and expansion to other countries of the rescEU Air Fleet Preparation and Doubling Programme, the strengthening of the European Mechanism and rescEU was generally highlighted. . Development based on official Greek proposals, reaffirming and reinforcing the regional role of Greece as a “node” of the European Civil Protection Mechanism and rescEU in the South East Mediterranean.

Source: RES-IPE