Enhanced fire prevention plan ready

The first phase of the government’s fire prevention action plan will be ready by May 1, while the second stage, with advanced sensors and cameras covering residential and industrial areas, is expected to start in 2024, said Justice Minister Anna KoukkidesProcopiou.

In a conference address, Koukkides Procopiou said the government had prioritised the continued strengthening and upgrading of all services involved in search and rescue operations.

The country’s search and rescue system is organised by the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Larnaca; its mission is to control and direct search and rescue operations in the region.

She said there is a need to coordinate all the actions so that there is no overlapping or time-wasting.

In general, the philosophy underlying these search and rescue operations is that different units operate as a single unit, eliminating problems that might occur when many different units operate without any coordination.

“Recent incidents worldwide show that search and rescue teams are often limited in their ability to rescue people from inaccessible or difficult terrain; thus, introducing advanced technology is of utmost importance to enable professionals to achieve more successful outcomes and save lives.

“Having recognised this fact after the devastating fires in Arakapas in 2021, which destroyed 55 sq km of forest, crops and homes, as well as unfortunately deaths, the government of Cyprus proceeded with the establishment of a multidisciplinary group mandated to provide suggestions and solutions in prevention, monitoring and management of such events,” said Koukkides-Procopiou.

She said the Justice and Public Order Ministry is taking a lead role in this multidisciplinary theme, while the Fire Department is the spearhead of efforts in such events.

“The approach is holistic and includes an advanced communications network in the search and rescue centre, cameras in strategic locations, command and control vehicles, aerial monitoring drones and the development of secure infrastructure capable of supporting all the traffic of information during the crisis”.

The first phase of the government action plan addresses mainly forests, expected to be fully operational for the upcoming summer seasons, starting May 1.

“To strengthen SAR capacity, it is crucial to involve the private sector as major actors in this area.”