Planning for this year’s fire season, which officially begins on May 1, has entered the final stretch. This year, the first leased aircraft will be available to Greece, almost a month earlier than last year, as they are expected to be available at the beginning of May, i.e. with the start of the fire fighting season. The number of aerial vehicles (national fleet and leased aircraft) will fluctuate at approximately the same levels as last year’s period, where a total of 86 aerial vehicles contributed to the task of fighting forest fires from the air. According to information, the relevant international open tender through the NSPA service (NATO Support and Procurement Agency) for the lease of additional vehicles is at the stage of completion. It is noted that last year the issue of Greece’s debt to the NSPA service, totaling 8,457,481.64 euros, was resolved, thus opening the way for aircraft leasing.

The strategic planning of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection is again this year based on the doctrine of prevention and operational readiness, guided by the experience and lessons learned from last year so that the measures and policies implemented last year can be further improved. The Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection has started from the end of January, earlier than ever, the first meetings for the preparation of the fire season, while the planning guides will be the new doctrine that has been set and is based on the tripartite “Prevention, Preparation, Readiness » in combination with the immediate response to emergency incidents but also the further strengthening of cooperation and coordination of all agencies: Fire Brigade, Armed Forces, Hellenic Police, Coast Guard, EKAV, Forestry Services, Local Government and Volunteers. A key collaboration, as ministry circles emphasize, for the rapid and efficient management of any challenge.

The total forest firefighting force in Greece consists, according to the latest data, of 14,168 firefighters (among them 500 forest commanders – EMODE, but also 2,399 five-year duty firefighters, as well as 292 special duty officers of which 125 graduated from the Officer School of the Fire Academy on March 24, 2023 and are graduates of economists, civil engineers, meteorologists, lawyers, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, as well as graduates of IT and telecommunications fields). However, it is noted that this year there are fewer permanent firefighters compared to last year (14,168 compared to 14,616 in 2022). This according to the Fire Department headquarters is due to retirements. However, the seasonal firefighters who will contribute again this year will be 2,500 people. In particular, on October 31, 2022, the contract of 2428 seasonal firefighters expired. They are to be rehired and the resulting vacancies will be filled with a new job announcement.

Volunteer firefighters will also play an important role in the fight against forest fires, as for the first time this year there will be more than 4,000 volunteers, of which 900 were certified and joined the services of the Fire Brigade in 2023. At the same time, strengthened and cooperation with volunteer groups will also be upgraded, as those who have successfully completed their training at the Civil Protection Academy (which has been operating since mid-November 2022 in Villas) are expected to join the operational plan of the Fire Brigade.

In addition, for the second year in a row, Greece will host firefighters from 5 European countries as part of the pre-installation program of the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The units will be pre-installed in Athens, Larissa and Tripoli and the goal is both assistance and the exchange of know-how in fighting forest fires. The pilot program Pre-positioning Firefighters (“pre-positioning pilot project”) was deemed successful, according to ministry circles, by the European Commission, while this year, as part of the expansion of the program, European firefighters will also be stationed in France and Portugal.

At the same time, it is noted that since last year Greece has been a hub for the European Civil Protection Mechanism and rescEU in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The timely completion of the cleaning of the plots and other areas by April 30 will also be of key importance. In fact, a provision is expected that will provide the legislative tools to the municipalities in order to ensure the cleaning of plots throughout the fire protection season, in order to prevent the risk of causing or spreading a fire. This provision has been updated in order to expand its scope and strengthen the responsibilities of municipalities, especially in emergency cases of particularly high and immediate fire risk.

At the same time, the ANTINERO program will be prepared this year, which will include preventive forest clearings as well as the maintenance and opening of forest roads and fire protection zones. At the same time, the focus, as last year, has been on the cleaning of archaeological sites, with the list being expanded even further, in cooperation and consultation with the Ministry of Culture. It is noted that the areas of increased risk have already been marked by the Civil Protection, following autopsies by mixed levels, and the regions and municipalities where these areas fall have been informed. In fact, at the beginning of April, a broad meeting was held at the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection for the shielding of archaeological sites and it was decided to speed up their actions and actions on fire protection issues. Also, according to Civil Protection sources, funding has been given through the Ministry of the Interior to the local government to cover fire protection actions, much earlier this year, and the amount is significantly increased compared to previous years.

In addition, the ministry’s plans include increased patrols by the Fire Brigade, ELAS and GEETHA during days with a high risk index (4 or 5), while the Fire Brigade is already ready for the start of the fire fighting season through continuous training and exercises that carries out.