Filenews 22 February 2021
The duties and responsibilities of the Air Wing Unit of the Police (MAEP) cover a wide range ranging from the transfer of the President of the Republic, to the rescue of persons, the transport of the injured and the extinguishing of fires, the Commander of Unit Officer A, Christodoulos Kontos, told the CYPE.
Mr. Kontos explained that "the Unit has a wide range of tasks and responsibilities including monitoring the coasts of the Republic of Cyprus, conducting patrols with a view to crime, while in cooperation with other Agencies, we aim to prevent, suppress and solve crime in particular drug trafficking, illegal immigration, smuggling and terrorism".
It also continued "patrols are carried out with the aim of monitoring and monitoring the main roads of Cyprus and traffic. Patrols shall also be carried out to identify and save lives and property where there are natural disasters or other serious accidents and accidents, always with the aim of saving lives and assisting the public."
He also added that "an essential element in the success of the MAEP missions is the good cooperation that exists between the various Police Departments and other Agencies that are responsible for the operations we perform."
In response to a question, Mr. Kontos said that "quite often the unit's helicopters attempt to extinguish fires, while they are used to transport seriously ill or seriously injured people to medical centers in Cyprus, even abroad".
He added, "the Unit is used to transport and accompany the President of the Republic and other foreign officials, missions assigned to the Unit under the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (CSED) and any other instructions and guidelines given by the Chief or Assistant Chief of Police."
Regarding the officer of the members of the MAEP, the Unit Commander said that "in order for the Unit to be able to be successful in its missions there must be a continuous operational readiness and at the same time an immediate response". These, he said, "are achieved by continuing to train and maintain the discipline of unit members at high levels and good maintenance of helicopters."
He added that "we are able and have the capabilities to provide, train and maintain our helicopters and respond immediately." In fact, he noted, "this was helped by the cooperation recently achieved with the CSED, which was also the initiative of the Centre, that is to say, to have on a permanent basis a nurse in our Unit".
According to Mr. Kontos "the MAEP still has a team of divers, specially trained, who do searches at sea in order to identify individuals or property and save lives. The Unit also undertakes missions assigned by the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre and the transfer of state officials to specific missions related to service matters."
Asked to indicate which operations stand out from the actions of the MAEP, the Commander said that "in the last two years the Unit has attempted on 52 occasions. The ones that stand out are in August 2020 when THE MEP participated in a transport operation in Lebanon, of MMAD and EMAC personnel and trained dogs, in order to assist in efforts to find trapped persons after the deadly explosion".
He also noted that "in January 2020 a Unit helicopter under adverse weather conditions transported a patient from a hydrocarbon extraction platform to a Hospital of the Republic, while crew members were honored by the companies and the CSED Search and Rescue Centre". Another case, he said, "was in February 2019 when, following a coordinated operation, two Unit helicopters were able to locate and rescue a team of 17 scouts searching the Troodos area."
He also said that "at the same time the unit helicopter transported to the Hospital a woman who had been injured after falling into a ravine in the Troodos area".
"It is noted that MEP helicopters participate each year in firefighting operations in both Cyprus and neighbouring countries such as Israel and Lebanon," he added.
Christodoulos Kontos also stated that "an essential element in the success of the MISSIONS of the MAEP is the good cooperation that exists between the Police Departments and other Agencies responsible for the operations to be carried out by the Unit". At all times, he added, "pilots, rescue workers and helicopters are on full operational readiness."
This, he noted ,"is achieved through continuous training, maintaining staff at high levels of discipline, good maintenance of flight instruments and participation in various readiness exercises".
Source: CYPE
