Behind every image of fire and destruction lies a critical phase that is not always captured on camera or in news headlines. It is the phase before the extreme event occurs.

In other words, before the smoke spreads, before a family is put at risk, before a property, a tree or a business is lost… It is the phase of prevention and timely response — a phase in which numerous forces, both state and voluntary, are placing great emphasis during this year’s fire season in our country.

Across every corner of Cyprus, and particularly in high-risk areas, volunteers from SupportCY of the Bank of Cyprus (BoC), under the guidance of and in collaboration with the Fire Service, are carrying out organised fire prevention and surveillance patrols, covering large expanses of rural and other areas. These patrols do not merely entail monitoring routes. They are coordinated operational missions, with teams trained to identify suspicious signs, assess the development of incidents rapidly and — when necessary and safe — respond immediately on site.

BoC’s SupportCY fleet includes fully-equipped, fire-fighting vehicles, fitted with water tanks, high- and low-pressure pumps and essential first-response equipment. Each vehicle is manned by volunteers who have undergone specialised training and operate according to defined safety protocols and coordination procedures with the Fire Service.

However, the mission is not limited to the ground. BoC’s SupportCY Volunteer Corps also utilise cutting-edge technology, including drones, which carry out aerial patrols and surveillance in areas that are difficult to access or when a broader operational overview is required.

In some instances, the prompt presence and response of volunteers at the site of an emerging fire, identified during a scheduled patrol, combined with the swift intervention of the Fire Service, has prevented the spread of wildfires.

Recently, through SupportCY, the Bank of Cyprus provided fire prevention equipment — including a branch shredder — to a total of 20 communities and municipalities in the Paphos and Larnaca districts. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Fire Service and in the presence of local authorities, presentations were held offering guidance and advice on fire prevention and response.

Marios Stavrou, Head of the Volunteer Corps of SupportCY of the Bank of Cyprus, stressed the importance of volunteer efforts. “Dozens of our volunteers are deployed daily on prevention patrols or remain on high alert, ready to respond at a moment’s notice,” he noted. “In the context of an excellent partnership with the Fire Service, a plan is developed identifying areas that require increased patrolling. This plan is regularly updated through close communication with the district offices of the Fire Service, taking into account weather conditions and risk levels,” he continued.

“We are in the midst of a difficult fire season, and the conditions for the outbreak and spread of wildfires across Cyprus are extremely favourable. Therefore, as the Volunteer Corps of SupportCY of the Bank of Cyprus, we have strengthened both our equipment and the training of our personnel. This year, for the first time, we also launched the Helicopter Firefighting Support Unit, which has at its disposal two inflatable water tanks for helicopter refuelling near large fire sites.”

Elli Ioannidou, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at the Bank of Cyprus made reference to the origins of the volunteer network. “SupportCY was created by the Bank of Cyprus in March 2020, amid the severe crisis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic,” she noted. “Today, five years on, it continues to operate and evolve in order to respond responsibly, promptly and effectively to the needs and challenges of our society, as well as to every call for support from the state mechanism during times of crisis and emergency.”