The Fire Service is now part of the Ministry of the Interior and Civil Protection, the new name of the Ministry headed by Constantinos Ioannou. In a development described as a major shift, the government is moving forward with the establishment of a “strong National Civil Protection Mechanism,” as announced Wednesday by Cyprus President Nicos Christodoulides at the start of his Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace.
The goal, he said is to end the scattered operation of services and create a coordinated and effective mechanism “based on international and European standards”.
All relevant crisis management services will now fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior, which is being renamed the Ministry of the Interior and Civil Protection.
Under the new framework, the following will be transferred to the Ministry of the Interior:
- the Fire Service
- The staff of the Forestry Department involved in forest protection (prevention, preparedness, suppression)
- the Civil Defense Department
The President described the change as an “emblematic reform” and stressed that it is one of the five key priorities of his government, with an emphasis on modernizing the state.
It is noted that the decision is part of a series of reform measures that began in October 2023, with technical support from France and funding from the European Commission.