In Cyprus, nearly 260 new firefighters will be recruited

The Fire Department of the Republic of Cyprus is in the final stages of recruiting new firefighters. In total, the ranks of firefighters will be augmented by 259 recruits.

Speaking on Wednesday at a graduation ceremony for firefighters undergoing probation, Minister of Justice Marios Hatzigiannis stated that this move "demonstrates the great efforts being made to strengthen firefighting teams and the entire country's fire safety system."

Currently, the fire department staff comprises 680 individuals.

"The challenges faced by firefighting teams are constantly increasing due to the ever-changing environment, rapid technological advancements, extensive building construction, and the increasing frequency of man-made disasters, which are becoming more intense as a result of the climate crisis," the minister said.

The head of the Ministry of Justice also noted that given the current situation, the government has prioritized fire safety and strengthening the work of firefighting teams at the top of its list of priorities, both in terms of material-technical infrastructure and the equipment it has at its disposal.

The government is taking appropriate measures in terms of operational planning and preventive measures ahead of the onset of the fire hazard period.

The recruitment of personnel occurred after the firefighting team responded to a total of 43 incidents within 24 hours.