On Wednesday, 19 April 2023, the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Mr. Nikolaos Chardalias, delivered personal protective equipment to 18 volunteer organisations of the Panhellenic Association of Volunteer Forest Protection – Firefighting Organisations (POEODP). The equipment was received by the President of the Board of POEODP, Mr. Stavros Salagiannis, and the team leaders.
The donation from the Ministry of National Defence, which was implemented in coordination with the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, aims at supporting with equipment the important volunteer work of the members of POEODP on the occasion of the upcoming start of this year’s wildfire season.
The equipment was delivered during a ceremony that took place at the Higher Army Support Military Command headquarters in Athens. The personal protective equipment delivered will meet the needs of all 18 volunteer organisations of POEODP, i.e.:
– Vyron Forest & Natural Environment Protection Centre
– Ilioupoli Volunteer Forest Protection and Firefighting Team
– Volunteer Forest Firefighter – Rescuer Team
– Volunteer Forest Firefighting – Rescue Forces
– Aghios Stefanos Civil Protection Volunteer Association
– Astypalea Civil Protection Volunteer Association
– Andros Volunteer Forest Firefighter Association
– Municipality of Ionia (Chios) Forest Protection and Firefighting Association
– Preveza Greek Raider Club
– Vari Volunteer Forest Protection and Firefighting Team
– Afidnes Fire Protection Volunteer Association
– Messinia Disaster Relief Team
– Western Achaia Volunteer Rescuer – Firefighter Corps
– Marathon Volunteer Forest Firefighter Association
– Kryoneri Civil Protection Volunteer Association
– Kapandriti – Polydendri Volunteer Team
– Loutraki – Perahora Forest Fire Protection Association
– Pythagorio Volunteer Firefighter Association
The event was attended by the Chief of Hellenic Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Angelos Choudeloudis, as representative of the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, the Commanding General of the Higher Army Support Military Command, Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, and members of the volunteer organisations of POEODP.
Within the framework of the ceremony, the Deputy Minister of National Defence gave the following address:
“I’ve known most of you for a long time. And this relationship between us is a field relationship. I believe field relationships are eternal, they endure time, they bring people closer together and create friendships. So, for me, it was self-evident to accept the request of your Board and, always in cooperation with the Chief of Defence, General Floros, and the Army leadership, to accept such a self-evident request.
You know, unfortunately in our country things that are self-evident must be claimed and those of us who have served the social movement have known this for years.
We tried under difficult circumstances, facing crisis upon crisis, to finalise the legal framework with L. 4662/2020, taking the first steps.
I am very glad that a life dream that was the Civil Protection Academy has been completed and I am looking forward, as a volunteer active citizen and not as a Deputy Minister, to its full operation, since it will meet essential needs of our citizen volunteers.
I am glad because one of the 39 subprogrammes of Plan “AEGIS”, which I oversaw personally and has been approved by the Governmental Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence since July 2021, concerns equipment and assets for our volunteer teams.
I believe that, sooner or later, this programme will also be implemented so that you can get everything you need and deserve and use as best you can.
You should know that the Armed Forces stand beside society every day. And, something I said at my previous position in Civil Protection and I repeat now, without the Armed Forces, this country would have collapsed. This is not a figure of speech or to pat heads, this is reality. Without the Armed Forces, the country wouldn’t have been able to deal with Covid. Without the Armed Forces, you know this better, the country wouldn’t have been able to deal with contingencies, large wildfires, great floods, big natural disasters. It wouldn’t have been able to deal with climate change which grows by the day. And without the Armed Forces and without the strength and self-sacrifice of our personnel at all levels, be it our pilots, the “DEFKALION” natural disaster relief teams, the first responders supporting the efforts of the Security Forces, believe me, this would be a different country.
I am very glad to see you again and you should know that the end of my personal path will be to return to the volunteer team of my beloved Vyron, where we all started and met each other in the field, in operations, in our first struggles and concerns. And remember, there is no greater honour than having served the volunteer movement, being a Volunteer!
Welcome, I want you to know that we are here to serve. And I want you to know that we are here to honour friendships, efforts, our common concerns, those with whom we served in the field sometime, facing difficult situations and under difficult conditions. I wish a calm wildfire season!”.
