The design for the commencement of the implementation of Phase II of the holistic system for fire prevention and crisis management, which will lead to full operational readiness, is at an advanced stage.
Soon, the competent Ministries of Justice and Public Order, and Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment will submit relevant proposals to the Cabinet for approval of the procurement of the necessary equipment, stated Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis, on Monday.
Additionally, he added, the finalisation of the recruitment process for 259 new firefighters is underway. Volunteer firefighters, who have received relevant training, will also assist the operational actions of the Fire Service during this year’s fire season.
In his address at the opening ceremony of Fire Safety Week, 22-28 April 2024, Mr Hartsiotis said that it has become a longstanding tradition, where CNP Insurance and the Fire Service collaborate in this significant effort to raise awareness and inform the public about fire prevention and management.
“The central message of this year’s fire safety week, ‘To prevent our dreams from turning to ashes’, reflects the seriousness of the risk our country faces every fire season from the onslaught of wildfires. Respect for our natural environment and personal and collective care to protect every inch of our land from all forms of hazards is of paramount importance for human survival, and therefore, fire protection measures are everyone’s responsibility,” he added.
The Minister mentioned that the devastating fire in mountainous Limassol in the summer of 2021 prompted the development of a holistic system for fire prevention and crisis management, which includes the installation and utilisation of modern technological systems and monitoring tools, as well as timely fire detection.
He noted that Phase I of this comprehensive system was completed and fully operational during the previous fire season, significantly increasing the surveillance level of the forest and wilderness areas of the Republic.
The design for the commencement of Phase II, he continued, which will lead to full operational readiness of the system, is at an advanced stage. Soon, the competent Ministries of Justice and Public Order, and Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment will submit relevant proposals to the Cabinet for approval of the procurement of the necessary equipment.
He highlighted that the further upgrading and strengthening of the Fire Service infrastructure is a top priority for the Ministry of Justice and Public Order and himself personally.
Indicatively, he mentioned that the Moniatis and Eurochu Fire Stations have been upgraded to Regional Fire Stations and operate on a 24-hour basis, adequately staffed with firefighters and permanent personnel.
Furthermore, the construction of new Fire Stations in urban and rural areas is being promoted, as well as the upgrade of existing Stations.
Efforts to strengthen the human resources of the Fire Service are also continuous, said Mr Hartsiotis, noting that the recruitment process for 259 new firefighters is nearing completion, while volunteer firefighters, who have received relevant training, will assist the operational actions of the Fire Service during this year’s fire season.
Referring to the Neighbourhood Watch scheme, which currently has over 110,000 registered observers nationwide, he called on these thousands of registered Observers, as well as anyone wishing to become an Observer, to join forces with the Fire Service and become an extension of the observatories and other monitoring tools, not only for timely detection and notification in case of a fire in the area where they reside and operate but also for information regarding any incorrect or suspicious human activities, which unfortunately are the main cause of wildfires.
