The handover ceremony for 164 new vehicles to the Fire Service is currently taking place at the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA), in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Ceremony for the Delivery of New Vehicles to the Fire Service

The 164 vehicles, worth €15,550,000 in total, include all-terrain water tankers equipped with 12,000-liter tanks, as well as personnel and equipment transport vehicles.

“These resources improve response time during fires. They are part of the AEGIS program to support firefighters, enhancing both their safety and operational capabilities. By 2025, we will have received 296 vehicles and another 331 in 2026, funded through the Recovery Fund. By the end of the AEGIS program, the Fire Service will have 1,400 new vehicles,” stated the Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.

“Civil Protection is not just a public service, it is the face of the state in its toughest battles. It is the institution that steps up when others are forced to retreat due to circumstances,” added Minister Christos Kefalogiannis. “That’s why we must be organized and consistent,” he noted.

Civil Protection is evolving into a system of prevention and timely response. It is becoming an interoperable mechanism, placed at the center of the national strategy. Along this path, we are joined by our European partners, local communities, and the men and women of the Fire Service, he concluded.

Present at the event was also the European Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, who began her speech by stating:

“Europe is the fastest-warming continent on the planet. We take these threats seriously. The vehicles delivered today prove that. Greece is not alone. You are part of Europe’s Civil Protection family.”

“These vehicles are not only fully equipped, they are a symbol of solidarity. They show what readiness means. Greece has shown that solidarity is not just an empty word. Since 2016, you have responded to 21 assistance requests for wildfires – three just this month for neighboring countries,” the Commissioner added.

“Thank you for your leadership role in Europe,” she concluded.