With New Drones, Additional Firefighters and Infrastructure Upgrades
RHODES – Strengthening wildfire preparedness across the Dodecanese islands was the focus of a series of meetings held by New Democracy MP for the Dodecanese, Ioannis (Giannis) Pappas, at the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
Pappas met with Minister Evangelos Tournas and Fire Service Chief Theodoros Vagias to discuss operational readiness ahead of the fire season, as well as measures aimed at further enhancing civil protection capabilities throughout the island region.
During the meetings, officials confirmed that the Rhodes Forest Operations Unit (EMODE) will receive additional reinforcement. Two surveillance drones are already operating in Rhodes and one in Kos, significantly improving wildfire prevention and early detection efforts. Furthermore, three additional firefighters are expected to be assigned to Kos and one to Karpathos in the coming period, strengthening local emergency response capacity.
Particular attention was also given to the planned relocation of the Rhodes Fire Service headquarters, a long-standing request from the local community aimed at upgrading infrastructure and improving operational efficiency.
Following the meetings, Pappas stressed that safeguarding human life, property and the natural environment remains a top priority, emphasizing the importance of close cooperation between state authorities and local agencies in addressing the growing challenges posed by climate change.
