Governmental meeting with a broad composition and object of informing about the course of the current one fire seasonbut also the intensive preparation that has preceded it, took place today at Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection under Minister Evangelos Tournas.

The Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Mr. Tournas, informed the participants in detail about the preparation and the actions that have been taken overall since the beginning of the year, when the strategic planning for this year’s fire season began. Planning based on the new doctrine of “Prevention, Preparedness/Readiness, Resilience” combined with Immediate Emergency Response, which was successfully implemented last year.

At the beginning of the meeting, a detailed briefing was given on the operational readiness of the Fire Brigade, which this year is further strengthened in terms of forces and means. Especially with regard to the leased aircraft, the number of which will be greater, it was emphasized that the leasing process through NSPA was completed on time, at a moderate cost and with the planning for 2023 having been achieved at 100%. The first helicopter, in fact, was found in our country on May 1, i.e. with the start of the fire fighting and earlier than ever.

As mentioned, the increasing the available air fleet -for which funding from the European Commission has been utilized for RescEU, which was also strengthened this year- contributes accordingly to increase of aerial preventives inspections on days with a high risk index, which are foreseen alongside the ground patrols with the participation of the Armed Forces. The aim is to prevent arson, to report a fire in time and to take immediate first action.

Furthermore, it was pointed out that in ground surveillance, as well as in forest firefighting operations, the European firefighters who will be in our country in July and August, through the Pre-Installation Program of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, will support their Greek colleagues this year. The Program continues after its successful pilot application last year in our country. So, more than 200 firefighters from 6 countries (Bulgaria, France, Germany, Malta, Slovakia and Romania) will be pre-installed for this purpose, but also for the exchange of know-how, in Nea Makri, Thessaloniki and Ancient Olympia.

In the field of European cooperation, in addition to the continuation – but also the extension to other countries – of the Pre-Installation Program and the doubling of the rescEU air fleet, special mention was made overall of the strengthening of the European Mechanism and rescEU. Development based on official Greek proposals and which confirms and strengthens the regional role of Greece as a “hub” of the European Civil Protection Mechanism and rescEU in the Southeast Mediterranean.

On the part of the co-competent Ministries of Environment and Culture, a thorough briefing was given as part of the meeting on the ongoing extensive preventive cleanings that are being carried out again this year in sensitive forest ecosystems – in combination with maintenance projects and the opening of forest roads and fire protection zones – but also in archaeological sites . At the same time, from the side of the co-competent Ministry of the Interior, the timely and 40% increased funding given – for the first time since March – to the Municipalities for preventive fire protection actions was highlighted.

Special reference was also made during the meeting to the additional institutional interventions made this year by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection to strengthen prevention and preparedness. These include the issuance of the new Fire Regulation 20/2023 for the cleaning of plots and other uncovered areas, the new edition of the “IOLAOS 2” General Plan for forest fires, the updating of the Regulation for the Fire Protection of properties located in or near forest areas, as well as the updating of the guidelines for the organized preventive evacuation of citizens.

Finally, during the briefing, special mention was made of the exercises on paper, exercises in the field and exercises of organized preventive evacuation of citizens, which are conducted with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of operational readiness, but also the interoperability of the agencies in their media management procedures to deal with forest fires. Also, in the inclusion and utilization of new technologies in forest firefighting.

Closing the proceedings of the meeting, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas warmly thanked all the participants, stressing that for the rapid and effective management of any challenge that may arise during the fire season, the goal and “key” is to further strengthen cooperation and coordination of all agencies: Fire Brigade, Armed Forces, Hellenic Police, Coast Guard, EKAV, Forestry Services, Local Government and Volunteers. Because as Mr. Tournas pointed out, this is the only way collective action becomes effective action.

The Minister of State Vassilios Skouris, the Minister of National Defense Alkiviadis Stefanis, the Minister of Environment and Energy Pantelis Kapros and the Minister of Culture and Sports Georgios Koumentakis participated in the meeting.

The Secretary General of Government Coordination Thanasis Kontogeorgis, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior Michael Stavrianoudakis, the Secretary General of Civil Protection Vassilios Papageorgiou, the Secretary General of Culture Georgios Didaskalo, the Secretary General of Forests Konstantinos – Evangelos Arabosis and the Head of the General Directorate of Forests and Forest Environment Evangelos Goudoufas.

In addition, the Chief of the General Staff, General Constantine Floros, the Chief of the Greek Police Lieutenant General Lazaros Mavropoulos, the Chief of the Fire Brigade, Lieutenant General George Pournaras, the Deputy Chief of the PS, the Vice -President Director of the 1st Branch of GEETHA, Major General Prokopios Mavraganis, the Commander of ESKEDIK, Major General Theodoros Vagias, the Head of the Fire Operations Branch, Major General Athanasios Balafas and the Director of Emergency Response Planning of the General Directorate of Emergency Management Dimitris Alexandris.