FIRE PREVENTION MEASURES PRESENTED BY THE COMPETENT SERVICES TO PARLIAMENT - DETECTION SYSTEM WORTH €25 million - Filenews 18/3
The prevention measures and the degree of preparedness of the state mechanism for fires in view of the summer were presented to the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment by the competent services, including the Department of Forests, the Fire Service, the Ministry of the Interior and the Civil Defense.
During the meeting, the plans that are in progress to deal with the fires were analyzed, while at the same time the challenges that the competent services still face, mainly in terms of staffing and operational coverage of the countryside, were highlighted. At the same time, data were presented by the Fire Service, according to which a large number of businesses throughout Cyprus do not comply with the prescribed fire safety measures, despite the fact that they operate normally.
In the context of the discussion, the Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament of the Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation, Charalambos Theopemptou, noted that every March the Committee calls on the competent state services in order to be informed about the readiness of the Republic of Cyprus to deal with possible fires, in view of the summer season.
On behalf of the Department of Forests, Mr. Papageorgiou stated that in recent years the firefighting fleet has been significantly strengthened, especially after the inclusion of Cyprus in the Recovery and Resilience Plan, pointing out that "we have never had the fleet we have today in the past". At the same time, he noted that three television surveillance systems have been put into operation, while seven drones are also being used to detect fires, which, as he mentioned, have been specially designed for the needs of the service. However, reference was made to current circulars, which prohibit their use during the current period, due to the international situation.
Regarding the preparation for this year's fire season, Mr. Papageorgiou noted that by the end of March, the standby programs, the training of the staff and the full maintenance of the firefighting fleet are expected to be completed. At the same time, he said that maintenance works are underway on the forest road network and fire lanes, which are expected to be completed by the end of May, while cleaning interventions are also being implemented on rural roads.
Mr. Papageorgiou made special reference to the creation of a new 42-member specialized forest firefighting team, the "National Team", as he called it, with the participation of the Department of Forests, the Fire Service, the Civil Defense and the Ambulance Service. As he pointed out, this team will be fully trained and certified to deal with forest fires, with the possibility of participating in missions abroad if the need arises, within the framework of European mechanisms.
On behalf of the Fire Service, Chief Fire Marshal Nikos Longinos highlighted the need to strengthen the presence of the Fire Brigade in the countryside, pointing out that the existing stations do not operate on a 24-hour basis. As he mentioned, a study has already been submitted for the staffing of the 14 existing stations in 24-hour operation, as well as a second study for the creation of 14 new stations, in order to reduce response times to fires.
According to the data presented by Mr. Longinos, about 1,500 fires occur after 19:00, when rural stations close. At the same time, it was noted that in 2025 about 3,500 fires were recorded nationwide, a number that demonstrates the pressure on the Fire Service.
In the context of strengthening human resources, Mr. Longinos stated that the process of hiring 60 firefighting workers is underway, while specialized training of 30 members is also planned to investigate the causes of the outbreak and spread of fires. At the same time, groups have been created that are in constant communication with community leaders, providing instructions for cleaning and fire prevention, he said.
Mr. Longinos also presented the development of a "holistic fire detection system", with a budget of more than €25 million, which will include the installation of sensors in 13 industrial areas and, in the next phase, in rural areas, with the aim of covering up to 80% of the areas. Already, as he noted, four sensors are operating on a pilot basis in forest areas.
At the same time, he added that the construction of the Pachna Fire Station is in progress, which is expected to be completed in October 2026, while the construction of a Fire Station in Ayia Napa is expected to start soon. In addition, Mr. Longinos stated that the Fire Service is going to cooperate with the Meteorology Department, so that the latter can give tools to the Fire Brigade to know 5 days in advance, the temperatures and winds, in order to better prepare for a fire. "We will do everything we can to the best of our ability to reduce the chances of a fire starting and spreading. Beyond that, it is also a matter for every citizen to help and not to cause such a situation. No one can mess with nature," added Mr. Longinos.
In response to a question by AKEL MP, Yiannakis Gabriel, regarding the number of aircraft currently at the disposal of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Longinos stated that according to information from the National Guard, from April 1 four aircraft will be available, while from May three more aircraft and four helicopters will be added. At the same time, in response to a question by AKEL MP, Andreas Kafkalias, regarding the possibility of seeking help from neighboring states, Mr. Longinos stated that the possibility of support through the European Civil Protection Mechanism remains, although, as he pointed out, this depends on the conditions prevailing in other countries.
At the same time, the Fire Service presented data before the Committee in relation to the observance of fire safety measures by premises, as 75% of factories and 53% of leisure centers nationwide do not comply with their obligations. In response to a question by DISY MP Prodromos Alambritis and AKEL MP Nikos Kettiros if the Fire Service took measures in relation to the data in question, Mr. Longinos stated that letters have been sent to both the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, as well as to the District Local Government Organizations (EOA) and the Municipalities for the imposition of measures, however, there is not the expected response, while it was mentioned that in some cases permits are issued by the Municipalities, without the presentation of fire safety certificates.
On behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, regarding the measures taken to deal with fires in a timely and effective manner, Ms. Poupa pointed out that the provincial administrations have already announced tenders for cleaning plots by May, while the state subsidy for the relevant works has been increased from 50% to 80%. At the same time, he noted that the Minister of the Interior intends to issue a Decree banning the use of tools during the summer season, while a campaign to inform citizens about the fires is being promoted, through the Press and Information Office.
In addition, he stated that procedures are underway for better coordination of private means that assist in extinguishing fires, as well as for the revision of compensation to equipment owners. In addition, the 24-hour patrols of the Game Service, which is often the first Service to detect fires, continue. Finally, as Ms. Poupa said, "at the Ministry of the Interior we are ready to take the necessary prevention measures and all suggestions are welcome".
Regarding Civil Defence, the spokeswoman, Ms. Stokkou, told the Commission that the "Polyvios" plan for evacuations is being revised, while in June, an early warning system for the population in the event of a fire, through mobile phones ("public warning system"), is expected to be piloted. The system will allow mass notifications to be sent to citizens located in affected areas, in real time.
On behalf of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Mr. Nikolaidis stated that the Deputy Ministry participates in the monitoring team for the "public warning system". He also noted that, "an "alert message" is going to be sent to the population that will be in the area where there is a fire and therefore there will be no 'one to one' problem that the sms has". He also added that the Deputy Ministry took the initiative to upgrade the "SafeCy" application.
Subsequently, the representative of the Pancyprian Volunteer Coordinating Council, Mr. Hatzidimitriou, stated before the Committee that "we are always ready to respond to incidents where there are volunteers".
In his statements after the end of the meeting, DISY MP, Prodromos Alambritis, expressed his anxiety about the issue of fires, after the incidents that took place last summer.
Mr. Alambritis stated that the state must take the necessary prevention measures, as well as public information campaigns, so that it enters the subconscious of every citizen that it should not cause any incident, but also to inform the Fire Service in time where it detects a fire, so that there is an immediate response on the part of the competent services.
At the same time, Mr. Alambritis also referred to the premises that allegedly do not comply with the fire safety measures, expressing particular concern, while calling on the competent state services to immediately proceed with the necessary checks. "Where centers need to be closed, factories need to be closed, because they do not meet certain things, this should be done immediately to prevent the next evil," he added.
AKEL MP, Nikos Kettiros, also made statements, stating that "every March everything is perfect, while every July and August everything is black and we cry over ruins". In relation to rural areas, which do not have a Fire Station, Mr. Kettiros noted that a medium-term plan is required to build Fire Stations that cover these areas. He also noted that "citizens must realize the difficulty of the situation, but also the local authorities must be vigilant".
Also, referring to the factories and recreation centers that do not comply with the fire safety measures, Mr. Kettiros expressed his concern, saying that with the letters sent by the Fire Service "no human life will be saved if any emergency occurs". "Measures must be taken so that our fellow human beings are not endangered by the irresponsibility of some," he added.
CNA
