A broad inter-ministerial meeting on the preparation for the upcoming fire fighting season took place today Friday at the invitation of the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vasilis Kikilia.

The aim of the meeting, which was also attended by executives from the Fire Brigade, the Greek Police and the Armed Forces, it was the coordination of the relevant ministries and operational arms of Civil Protection with the aim of drawing up integrated cross-sectoral plans which should be implemented at the right time before the start of the fire season (prevention interventions, training, joint preparedness exercises in the field, cleaning of forest/peri-urban areas and archaeological sites, opening of fire zones, synergies between the Fire Department and Forestry Services, etc.)

“Everyone’s responsibilities, responsibilities and obligations are outlined in all that has to do with the fire season, the preparation of which begins, as you see, very early. All the co-competent ministries, all the services, the Security Forces, the Armed Forces, but also the citizens, our volunteers, will rally this year in this effort. We are obliged to defend human life, the property of our fellow citizens, the natural beauty of our country, our homeland. And we will do this in an organized and professional manner, as I mentioned before the bad weather that passed through the country in the previous days”, said Mr. Kikilias while announcing that these meetings will take place every seven to fifteen days.

“Joint trainings and two-day seminars will follow of all involved and field exercises. The new challenge for the country is the climate crisis and what it “generates”. For this year, we must all be ready, in the field, organized, coordinated and interdisciplinary. I want to warmly request our fellow citizens to actively participate in this effort for our country. And for those few who do not want to participate and, on the contrary, create insurmountable problems, that is, for habitual arsonists and even negligently, etc., unfortunately for them, the law has now changed. The penalties are very different”, Mr. Kikilias emphasized while adding that the announcements will be made again before the fire fighting period with the Minister of Justice, George Floridis.

“I want everyone to understand that they cannot even negligently endanger the lives of their fellow citizens. We are slowly moving away from the plea in all that has to do with these matters and towards the obligations which are in a legal framework, which is now pressing for everyone. We must help and defend the highest good which is human life and no one can risk it”, Mr. Kikilias concluded.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, the Minister of State Akis Skertsos, the Deputy Minister of the Interior Theodoros Livanios, the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas, the Deputy Minister of National Defense Giannis Kefalogiannis, the Secretary General of Civil Protection Vassilis Papageorgiou, the general secretary of Public Order Manos Logothetis, the general secretary of Culture Georgios Didaskalou, the general director of Forests of the Ministry of Environment Vangelis Goudoufas, the head of the Directorate of Prehistoric & Classical Antiquities and deputy head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens Elena Kontouri, from the ministry of National Defense the director of the Military Office brigadier general Ioannis Skouras, the head of the Civil Protection department major Sofia Vartholomou, the information officer Georgia Koutsoukou, from GEETHA the inspector of reorganization of the Army and coordinator of the Construction Management & Response to Natural Disasters Lt. General Michail Klouvas, in charge of the General The colonel WILL Andreas Asimakopoulos, the general inspector of Southern Greece of the Hellenic Police George Michalopoulos, the head of the Order Branch of the Hellenic Police Headquarters Panagiotis Kollintzas, from the Traffic Directorate of Attica Brigadier General Styliani Eleftheropoulou, director of Traffic Police/A.E.A., the head of of the Fire Brigade, lieutenant general Theodoros Vagias, the deputy chief of the Fire Brigade, lieutenant general Nikolaos Roumeliotis, the chief of staff of the Fire Brigade, lieutenant general Athanasios Balafas, the commander of the Unified Crisis Management Coordination Center (ESKEDIK), lieutenant general Dimitrios Briolas, the director of Response Planning also Emergency of Needs of the General Secretariat of Civil Protection Dimitris Alexandris, the partner of the Ministry of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection Theodoros Foivos, the Director of Forest Fire Fighting of the Fire Brigade Chief Dimitrios Antonakis, the Director of Legal Support of the Fire Brigade Chief Evangelos Arvythas, the head of the Preventive Department Fire Protection of the Fire Department deputy fire chief Nikolaos Boras.