Contract worth 10 million euros for the upgrade of the ENGAGE information program, in the context of the implementation of the AEGIS program, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, signed today.

Through the upgrade of ENGAGE, the Fire Brigade and the Civil Protection forces will have the possibility to haven real time information on the progress of natural disasters (eg fires), the development of meteorological conditions and for the dispersion of vehicles and aerial means, while at the same time they will have access to a wealth of data that will strengthen their operational capabilities, such as the history of the areas in previous fires. At the same time, citizens will be given the opportunity to be informed in real time about fires through an application. The ENGAGE upgrade is for total 40 additions – improvements of the existing information system, such as, among others, the supply of a virtual reality educational system, surveillance cameras, as well as the supply of 500 computers and 1000 monitors.

“We are very happy, it happens now every few days, to sign one more AEGIS tender completion contract, this time of the ENGAGE upgrade” said the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias. As the ministry said, through AEGIS it will not stop strengthening the Fire Brigade and Civil Protection, as well as the Greek Police, the EKAV, the Armed Forces, the forest authorities. “With cars, with helicopters, with aircraft with digital tools with artificial intelligence with hardware for the firefighters, but also for our volunteers, so that we can show more and more high-level results. The aim is to protect human life. We do everything we can to empower these people and help them perform better on the field“, he noted.

Regarding citizens’ access, Mr. Kikilias explained that citizens will be able to actively and in real time through an application to see how a forest fire develops, so that they can better protect themselves and be informed about the sources of danger.

Regarding the AEGIS program, the minister emphasized that “in the last 12 months, tenders worth 1.8 billion euros have been implemented in everything that has to do with it”. “The AEGIS program will equip with hardware, software and everything else that has been designed, and I think the time is coming, when we will have the most advanced, modern, operationally strong and technologically developed services so that we can help these people to they do their job. A job, which has a personal risk for each and every one of the executives, in our effort to protect our fellow citizens in order to save human lives”, he underlined.

“TENGAGE for us is the best business, digital tool. Its upgrade will help us in our requirements, meet more and more of our requirements, enhance interoperability, and make us operationally stronger.“, pointed out the head of the Fire Department, lieutenant general, Theodoros Vagias.

At contribution of the European Investment Bank its representative, Marianna Nathanael, mentioned the AEGIS program, stressing that the European Investment Bank is helping Greek society in the AEGIS program. “We are strengthening the multi-sectoral AEGIS program with the purchase of firefighting equipment, aircraft and the creation of operational centers. In this context, within this whole picture, the ENGAGE program, this information system, will support the work of the firefighters”, he noted.

For his part, the officer from the IT and Communications Directorate of the Fire Brigade headquarters, chief, Athanasios Ioannidis he pointed out that this is not a new project, but one that is continuously used by the fire service to alert and respond to fire.

“This project with the support of the respective political and physical leadership and with the valuable cooperation and help of the information society, a cooperation that measures 20 years now is a valuable tool in the operational operation of the body. The Engage upgrade project comes today not only to improve Engage with a more user-friendly interface but also to add additional features based on the leaps and bounds of technology in many areas. By way of example, I mention: And the management and presentation of large volumes of data to assist and make decisions. The remote monitoring of telecommunications. Virtual reality for staff training. And of course the interthermality with already existing and future systems of other agencies.

The project also includes the replacement of technological equipment and the upgrading of fire services and vehicles,” he underlined. At the same time, he emphasized that the project works as an upgrade and will come to modify an operating system, which will require the training and familiarization of the staff anew. “In closing, we must say that behind this are the people of the Fire Department who envisioned it 20 years ago, those who supported it and implemented it in its first steps, The people who support it today and will continue in the future. Finally, the people who use it every day and night in operations centers, fire services and on the battlefield. The effort of these people is supported by the implementation of this project“, he noted.