It is indeed with great pleasure that I inaugurate the new Athienou Fire Station. I am doubly pleased to be with you today, both as Minister of Justice and Public Order and as a native of Athienou, where I was born.
The construction of the new Fire Station, at a total cost of 220 thousand euros, is part of the government's broader plan for the qualitative enhancement of the operational capacity of the Fire Service.
Until the completion of the new Station, the Municipality of Athienou was served by a small fire station located within the Police Station with reinforcements coming from Larnaca.
Now, the new Fire Station covers a large and important part of the area, since within its zone of responsibility, the industrial and rural area up to the motorway is located, which includes factories, rural accommodation, natural wealth and residences.
Athienou has faced and continues to face difficulties due to the consequences of the Turkish Invasion which resulted in its road connection with the rest of Cyprus being cut off on three sides.
However, the industriousness of its inhabitants, their love and zeal for their land, as well as the know-how they possess for the production of many Cypriot products, as well as their quality, have established it in the Cypriot market and beyond, leading our Athienou to a dynamic development.
The ongoing expansion of industrial and residential zones and the significant agricultural development of the region, reinforced the need for the creation of a new, modern and fully equipped fire station.
Recognizing these increased requirements, the Anastasiades Government responded to your request in order to enhance your sense of security for your life, the protection of your property and investments.
It is therefore a great honour for me to be with you today, seeing a village that I left very small, showing this dynamic development, with its own museum, with an important cultural project, its own industrial area and whose inhabitants and authorities safeguard our tradition.
Our support will continue, as we will soon have the pleasure of inaugurating your new Police Station.
Allow me to thank the Municipality of Athienou and especially the Mayor, my friend Kyriakos Kareklas, for his decisive contribution and all his actions to complete this project.
Friends,
Our Fire Service carries out an admittedly demanding mission, which often endangers the lives of our firefighters themselves, who stand next to the citizen to protect his life and property in the critical moments of natural disasters and fires.
Since taking office, the Government has been actively strengthening the fire safety sector of the country, both by promoting political decisions and measures and by continuously evaluating the fire prevention and extinguishing system.
It is for this reason that our continuous objective remains the promotion of the competence, response and efficiency of our Fire Service.
To this end, we have adopted new, modern forms of action and strategic development, on the basis of a reform programme and innovative approaches, on the basis of which the Fire Service is now autonomous.
Plus, we are gradually increasing the budget of the Force, which reached 50.7 million for 2023 with an increase of 12.7% compared to 2022.
We are also moving forward with the gradual creation of the Single Operations Coordination Centre, at a total cost of 6.1 million, which with the use of new technology that will allow us to control and have a real-time picture during the occurrence of a fire or other emergencies throughout Cyprus. The Centre will also contribute to improving the coordination of all services involved in the response to such incidents.
At the same time, a bill has been prepared and passed for the institutionalization of the volunteer firefighter, so that through proper training and coordination of the institution, we can support our volunteer firefighters.
In addition to the continuous effort to fill all vacancies, we are replacing and strengthening the equipment of ground and airborne firefighting equipment.
In closing, I would like to address the members of the Fire Service.
By officially handing over the new Athienou Fire Station today, as a State, I would like to reassure you that we stand unreservedly by your side.
The practical appreciation of the Anastasiades Government for the work you are doing is also reflected in the recent decision we took on the upgrade of the police and fire brigade pay scales, which was passed by Parliament and comes into effect on 1 January 2023.
We are aware of the battles you fight every day to protect all of us and through our actions we want to express a big thank you.
Finally, Mr. Mayor, I assure you that as a state we remain with you to support your efforts and work.
Thank you.
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(IK)
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