80 will be the drones (unmanned aircraft systems) available by Civil Protection during this year’s firefighting season, after DEDDIE’s € 6m donation to the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. It is noted that they are almost twice as much compared to last year, where their number reached 47.

The donation concerns the lease of 80 unmanned aircraft systems (SEAs) and the provision of a relevant flying project, with the aim of aerial surroundings of selected suburban forest areas. The main purpose is the timely warning and prevention of fires, as well as to meet other operational needs of the Fire Brigade during the firefighting period of 2025.

The SEAs include both the airline units and the respective Operational Management Centers, ensuring continuous and reliable supervision. They are equipped with advanced detection systems and artificial intelligence for monitoring critical areas and immediate event recognition. Surveillance will take place on a 24 -hour basis, covering a number of strategic forest areas, with the data being transmitted in real time to the authorities responsible for valid decision -making.

At the same time, through air surveillance, critical infrastructure will be protected, preventing the impact of the electricity transfer and distribution system, provide useful information to coordinate ground forces in operational events, while facilitating the mapping and evaluation of damage as well as investigations.

“Today is an important step in enhancing civil protection, in terms of prevention and validly addressing the risks that will come this summer. We try to make use of the technology and the possibilities that we are given, through this very great DEDDIE donation »He pointed out, among other things, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Yiannis Kefalogiannis, thanking the HEDNO organization and the CEO, A. Manos for the excellent cooperation they have had over the years and for the cooperation of their responsibility. “

As the minister said, through this great bid this year, “ie 6m euros, which allow us to rent services for about 80 drones, – duplicates in relation to last year – we will be able to take a very important step in order to have the best possible preparation for the prevention of fire.”

At the same time, he referred to the strengthening of the Fire Department, which, he said, “has been strengthened by an even greater number of staff” mainly permanent staff.

“Overall, along with seasonal, we will be in the 18,000 people, men and women of the Fire Department. Along with the thousands of volunteers of both the Fire and Volunteer Organizations, by utilizing the amenities we will have – whether from the national fleet, either from the rented, under the agreement – but also by the exploitation of the big program “AIGIS Design for this summer »emphasized Mr. Kefalogiannis.

“In essence we take another step in the part of prevention”said the minister, while thanking his predecessor, V. Kikilia, who, as he said, “together with Mr Manos prepared this very big donation and I can say that we are even more enhanced this summer.”

For his part, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, said in a statement: “The fire protection of our forests, our natural wealth, the residential areas and above all of human life, is a non -negotiable priority. The climate crisis is here and obliges us to a state of constant preparedness and vigilance.

For this reason, we are better recruiting modern and modern means to form a plan to shield, primarily the communities and the environment, ultimately ensuring the tomorrow of our country. It is our debt to our homeland and future generations » while thanking all the contributors to this initiative.

The importance of this donation to the prevention was mentioned by DEDDIE’s CEO Anastasios Manos.

“With this donation we seal an excellent cooperation we have had so far with both ministries and of course we look forward to our mutual support to continue our effective and coordinated effort for as long as we have the opportunity and responsibility to protect our citizens, to protect our infrastructure, to protect our infrastructure, to protect our infrastructure,”he noted.

As he said, this donation and this project is very important to DEDDIE, and added that “Given the increasingly frequent emergence of extreme weather phenomena due to climate change, the priority for HEDNO is now the protection of its critical infrastructure from fires and the prevention of their impact on the network.”

“Recently, in close cooperation with the State and the relevant bodies and with centrally coordinated planning, great emphasis has been placed on prevention, with additional actions (intervention in firefighting zones, deep pruning, inspection reinforcement with emphasis on networks within forest areas).

Today’s donation is an important part of this strategy »concluded Mr. Manos.

It is noted that during last year’s firefighting season, the SEA system was developed in high -risk areas such as: Attica, Corinth, Arcadia, Boeotia, Laconia, Evia, Thessaloniki, the National Park of Valia Calda, Evros, Dadia, Xanthi. In addition, it was used to monitor mixed zones of increased risk, such as the suburban areas of Thessaloniki, the forests of Western Greece and the protected areas of Epirus.

During this year’s firefighting season, the system is expanding to new high -risk areas such as Crete, Rhodes and the islands of the North Aegean, where the difficulty of access makes the airborne surveillance necessary. The aim is to enhance the possibility of early warning and effective monitoring, helping to improve the response of the competent bodies and to protect the country’s forest and natural resources.

At the start of the donation process were the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Yiannis Kefalogiannis, the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas, the Chief of the Fire Brigade, Lieutenant General Theodoros DEDDIE Vassiliki Dalis, General Manager of Operational Risk and Coordination of DEDDIE Michael Papadopoulos, General Director of Strategic and Transformation of DEDDIE Dimitrios Pazaitis and Director of the Directorate of Corporate Relations & Communication.