It is with great pleasure that I am here with you today, in this very important exercise organized by the Civil Defence, aimed at confirming the readiness of the services of the state to respond to emergency incidents arising after a catastrophic earthquake.
The main objective of your exercise, which is being conducted within the framework of the National Plan "EGKELADOS", is to enable the competent State agencies involved to work together, within the framework of their competences, examining the effectiveness of existing procedures in relation to the management of the consequences of an earthquake. At the same time, it aims to identify and define any gaps and weaknesses that arise in order to improve response preparedness and coordination between agencies.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Man-made and natural disasters are undoubtedly among the greatest challenges a society can face. That is why states must invest in prevention and preparation, ensuring that processes, structures, infrastructure and human resources are able to respond promptly and effectively to a potential natural disaster event. It is also important that countries' mechanisms are fully alert to ensure the best possible safety and protection of their citizens.
Cyprus is a region of intense seismic activity and the recent seismic events in Turkey and Syria have reminded us of the need for utmost preparedness in dealing with similar situations. This can certainly be achieved through the implementation of common response strategies and procedures, training of human resources of the services, modernisation and procurement of the necessary equipment and systems. Public information is vital in terms of preventing and responding to earthquake situations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today's exercise is a test of preparedness for possible emergencies. Civil Defence is working towards the implementation, in cooperation with other competent services, of several actions aimed at increasing the resilience of society to a range of natural and man-made disasters and minimising their consequences.
At the moment I would like to mention that a programme is underway, in cooperation with schools, universities and local authorities in urban and rural areas, to raise awareness and inform citizens about prevention and protection from various risks.
A joint effort by the Forestry Department, the Fire Service, the Civil Defence and the Ambulance Service to establish and register in the European Civil Protection Response Units Tank a Forest Firefighting Pedestrian Unit is also in progress. This unit will be ready and available for response, after its certification and registration either within the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, or bilaterally.
It is also important to mention that at the beginning of 2024, the early warning system for the population via mobile phones will be implemented. This system will be able to send early warning messages to mobile phone subscribers (either from local or international providers) in pre-selected areas or throughout the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and can be used either preventively or suppressively for all emergency situations.
Let me mention that only recently the Civil Defence has been assigned the role as Competent Authority and National Contact Point for the proper implementation of the Directive on increasing the resilience of critical entities, i.e. organisations and services that provide critical and essential services necessary for the smooth functioning of the state and the economy.
The fact that the Civil Defence Search and Rescue Team has successfully completed its certification last December based on the United Nations guidelines (INSARAG) is also a sign of adequate response of the Force, and this is worthy of congratulations. It will also immediately proceed with its registration in the European Civil Protection Response Force Pool.
Finally, I should mention that the Force's fleet has recently been reinforced with 15 new vehicles to meet its ever-increasing commitments. The procurement, through European programmes, of four heavy-duty trailer water pumps has also been completed, which will enrich and make the Force's equipment even more effective in terms of flood response.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The constant challenges "command" full preparedness in responding to and mitigating the effects of natural and man-made disasters, which is why for the State the safety and protection of citizens is a top priority. Therefore, we will continue to take initiatives, implementing actions and policies that contribute to increasing the resilience of society.
On the occasion of my presence at today's exercise, on behalf of the State, I would like to thank the Civil Defence: the personnel, volunteers, female volunteers and all the obliged members of the Force, for their efforts in this direction and especially the Commander for the very good organisation.
I would also like to thank all of you both for the work you do and for your participation in the exercise, wishing you every success.
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