A broad meeting, with the aim of preparing the Civil Protection forces ahead of the firefighting period in Central Macedonia, under the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Yiannis Kefalogiannis, in the presence of the Deputy Minister of the Interior (Macedonia – Thrace).

The meeting was also attended by the MPs of Thessaloniki, Dimitris Kouvelas, Stratos Simopoulos, Diamantis Kalidakis, Fanis Papas, Pieria MPs Anna Mani-Papadimitriou and Spyros Koulkoudis Lieutenant General Theodoros Vagias, the Vice -Mayor of Thessaloniki of the Region of Central Macedonia, Costas Youtikas, the Secretary General of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia Thrace, Yiannis Savvas, Mayors, Mayors.

“We are doing today’s Coordinator of Central Macedonia, where together with the executives of the Fire Brigade, the first and second degree OTAs and of course all the relevant bodies will discuss the planning of the firefighting period,” said the Minister of Climate and Political Crisis and Political Crisis. In Central Macedonia, he added:

“There will be increased drones compared to last year, almost twice the number, as well as the number of the Fire Brigade, I repeat, including both permanent and seasonal volunteers. And our volunteers will be increasing this year, and we are very much in this year, and I repeat this year. The concept, I think we are really entering the battle with the best possible conditions, without meaning – I will say it again – that the difficult ones are not in front of us.

Mr Kefalogiannis also referred to the morning meeting at the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, under the prime minister, where the forces and means to be allocated nationwide, in cooperation with both the Armed Forces and Security Forces, for civil protection and civil protection.

The figures provided are “80, instead of 45 drones this year, for surveillance across the country, which will even cover the whole of Greece” and “18,000 men and women of the Fire Brigade, permanent and seasonal”, with the latter being increased by 20% by 20%. Also, 5,500 volunteers from volunteer organizations and another 5000 volunteer firefighters will contribute.

“I think we are doing the best possible preparation, we have repeatedly said that the natural phenomena will obviously not be eliminated,” Mr. Kefalogiannis stressed, adding:

“What we have a debt as a state, in collaboration with the local government, but also the citizens themselves, is to limit the devastating consequences of these natural phenomena, to prevent, of course, the main human loss and to protect property and the environment.”

Mr. Kefalogiannis also underlined the preparation made at the level of firefighting and forest roads.

“The Antinero IIII program is currently running, which in combination with the last 4 years, especially for the Central Macedonia region, has rendered projects totaling 114 million euros,” Mr Kefalogiannis said, adding: “You realize that for the first time and I mean, for the first time, in the history of the Greek state. Of course, in cooperation with the local government, which this year, I recall, it has received an increased funding for the cleaning of its own plots. We are doing a good job. “