Fire brigade takes delivery of nine new fire engines (Updated)

The fire brigade took delivery of nine new fire engines on Friday at a ceremony attended by Minister of Justice and Public Order Anna Prokopiou.

At the ceremony, she said the government is “constantly trying to strengthen and modernise the fire service’s equipment”.

She added that the new fire engines will add strength to the fire brigade’s response, as well as its capacity to suppress fires.

Additionally, she said the strengthening of the fire brigade “was placed high on the ministry’s priority list”, with more fire engines already in the pipeline to be received by 2026.

She said the ongoing climate crisis and the increased frequency of wildfires both in Cyprus and elsewhere “have created the need for continuous evaluation and strengthening in the field of fire protection, prevention, and treatment and suppression of fires”.

This will be done through the strengthening and upgrading of equipment and logistical infrastructure, as well as through the introduction of technological solutions for early detection of fires, she said.

In addition, she said the upgrades and improvements are being carried out “with the ultimate goal of creating a modern service which can respond to any incident that arises, however difficult it may be, at any time, seven days a week, 24 hours a day”.

She also commended the “high level of professional training and diligence” of firefighters and other employees of the fire brigade, saying the fire brigade has “demonstrated [its capabilities] with great success, responding to difficult situations in Cyprus and in its participation in missions abroad”.

Elsewhere, the fire brigade took delivery of nine new four-wheel drive vehicles, which they say “will contribute to the extinguishing of fires in agricultural and forested areas and will effectively support operations in urban areas”.

A ceremony was held to take receipt of the vehicles, attended by Prokopiou and fire brigade chief Nikos Logginos.

Logginos said the fire brigade receives an average of around 13,000 calls per year, of which around 8,500 concern fires while the remainder entail calls for other humanitarian issues.

He said around 5,000 calls per year pertain to rural fires, while around 3,500 concern fires in urban areas.

In addition, he said the fire brigade “has staff with morals and character, and their daily efforts to protect human life, property, and natural resources are constantly rewarded by the recognition they receive from the public”.

He added that firefighters are “supported to offer services in the quickest possible time, with professional handling and safety, in a constantly evolving operational environment”.