“We are not entitled to hospitalization – We buy the equipment ourselves”: Representative of the seasonal firefighters at

Reportage: Makis Synodinos

With the spearhead the infantry units and the crews of the patrols are in the front line of fire and together with firefighters and volunteers they operate for hours in order to save human lives and property.

The reason for them seasonal firefighters who in every fire as well as on Saturday in Ano Glyfada, Panorama of Voula and Vari enter the battle with the flames in order to perform their duty.

The problems facing as an industry many and the questions that arise even more.

In last fire on Saturday, where the disasters were great, social media caught fire with users asking questions like “Is there finally a strategic plan for this year’s fire season?” “Why do we see more police officers in fires than firefighters?” .

The highlight was Injury to a seasonal firefighter who was transported with respiratory problems to 251 General Staff of the Air Force and as his father made known, after he was treated in the outpatient clinics he was told he was not entitled to hospitalization in a military hospital because he was seasonal.

Skai.gr, seeking answers to the above questions, spoke with the deputy general secretary of the Panhellenic Association of Contract Firefighters, Mr. Pavlos Andreou.

According to Mr. Andreou, the fire-fighting season this year has started with large gaps in organic positions in the PS which reaches 4,000, which is why, as in Evia last year and in Varybobi, so this year the citizens are protesting, because they actually see more police officers than the firefighters.

“We saw it last year in the catastrophic fires where the testimonies of the people said that we were burning here and we only had police officers around us. This is due to the understaffing of the PS that while complaining about the climate crisis, have left the House to its fate “.

In fact, as he says, they have no official information from the ministry on how these positions will be filled.

As for the injured seasonal firefighter who was transferred to the 251st Air Force, Mr. Andreou explains that unfortunately this is the bitter truth. Because the seasonal contract is private law, they are not allowed to be hospitalized in military hospitals even if they are injured on duty. They may be offered first aid in a military hospital, as was the case with the wounded man on Saturday, but if his treatment is deemed necessary, he cannot be treated in a military hospital.

Mr. Andreou also referred to the problems faced by seasonal firefighters as he says they work 6 months a year and the rest of the months they enter the unemployment fund. Their complaint is him equipment which costs about 700-800 euros and is necessary to get into the battle with the flames, they buy it themselves out of their own pocket.

“If we do not receive an answer soon from the state, we are not afraid of the sidewalk, we will be on the streets again,” he concludes.

In the he also spoke Spyros Polygenis, father of the injured seasonal firefighter where with his post he raised a storm of reactions on social media.