Cyprus approves €25.5 million tech shield against wildfires

Economy firefire servicetechnologyTop News Cyprus approves €25.5 million tech shield against wildfires Fire Kalo Chorio Relevant News Cyprus approves €25.5 million tech shield against wildfires 20 August 2026 Moussiouttas urges football clubs to settle Social Insurance debts before September 14 deadline 20 August 2026 Enaerios traffic lights out of service in Limassol, repair due Monday 20 August 2026 Angelos Nicolaou 20 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus’s Cabinet has approved a €25,513,593 investment plan to roll out a holistic surveillance system and other modern fire-prevention technologies over the next three years. The decision brings the Forestry Department, Fire Service, National Guard and Civil Defence together under a common operational umbrella for the first time. The joint proposal was submitted by the Ministries of Agriculture, Defence, Interior and Justice, after securing a positive response from the Finance Ministry. It marks the Republic’s move into a new era of prevention and rapid response using cutting-edge technology. Building on a successful pilot This is Phase B of the project, focused on covering the entire territory, and builds on a successful pilot Phase A. That earlier phase installed the ARGOS crisis management system and four electro-optical sensor systems for automatic fire detection, at Akamas, Madari, Oikos and Fikardou. It also introduced four drone systems, a MANET wireless network, and two mobile C2 tactical centres for managing incidents mainly in urban and semi-urban areas. Sensor network The new Phase B plan, approved this summer, includes 31 electro-optical sensor systems: 16 for automatic detection in forest areas, run by the Forestry Department at a cost of €1.5 million, and 15 for industrial zones and critical infrastructure, run by the Fire Service at a cost of €800,000. Aerial surveillance The plan also includes two tethered observation balloons fitted with automatic fire-detection sensors, which will cost €800,000, along with two support vehicles for the Forestry Department’s drone and balloon teams, priced at €200,000. The Fire Service’s drone fleet will also be reinforced with two more support vehicles, at a further €200,000. Expanding the MANET communications network The plan’s second phase of the MANET wireless network will fully expand the uninterrupted communications system for shared use by the Forestry Department, Fire Service, Civil Defence and National Guard. The MANET systems will be awarded through a negotiated procedure at a cost of €3.2 million. IT infrastructure and related network equipment for interconnections across all the services involved will also go through a negotiated procedure, estimated at €6.8 million. Connecting the Forestry Department’s drones to the MANET and ARGOS systems will require a further €178,000 contract, also awarded by negotiated procedure. New operations centres The Forestry Department will receive three mobile C2 operations centres with off-road (4×4) capability, estimated at €850,000. Civil Defence will receive one heavy C3 crisis-management vehicle to support extended-duration crisis operations, estimated at €1.3 million. Digital tools The plan includes new fire-spread simulation software and a daily risk-forecast map for the Forestry Department, priced at €325,000, along with a €350,000 upgrade to the department’s General Operations Centre. Vehicle fleet The Fire Service will purchase 17 pump-equipped firefighting vehicles, estimated at €6.8 million, and two hydraulic telescopic platforms capable of firefighting and life-saving operations, carrying a price tag of a further €6.8 million. The National Guard may also receive up to four additional portable devices, costing €580,000. Building infrastructure The Forestry Department will also need new offices, a garage and storage space for its incoming personnel and equipment, at a total cost of €980,000. Total cost The total cost of all actions over the three-year period comes to €25,513,593, split between the Fire Service (€13,604,564), the Forestry Department (€8,543,678), Civil Defence (€2,004,821) and the National Guard (€1,360,530). All the actions stem from a study prepared by a Committee set up to introduce a fire prevention and response surveillance system in Cyprus. A further, expanded Committee has since taken on drafting the specifications for the surveillance systems, including preliminary equipment and infrastructure specifications, implementation timelines, updated costs and staffing needs. Tender exemption on national security grounds The Cabinet also decided to exempt the tender procedures for the MANET wireless communications system and the IT infrastructure and network equipment for interconnections from public procurement legislation, under Article 19(3) of Law 73(I)/2016. The contract, worth €10 million, will be awarded directly to the Phase A contractors. The decision was taken with the agreement of the Treasury, as the Competent Public Contracts Authority. It followed a judgment that protecting the security forces’ sensitive data and ensuring the technical compatibility of the systems were directly linked to the Republic’s essential security interests. The Fire Service will conclude the relevant contracts for building the infrastructure, implementing the interconnections and procuring the equipment on behalf of all the agencies involved, based on the study, and will then deliver the resulting infrastructure, interconnections and equipment to those agencies. Phase A: MANET network complete Phase A of the MANET wireless network, with a total cost of around €1 million, has already been completed. Phase A: ARGOS system complete The ARGOS Crisis Management System, which covered the infrastructure and technology and IT equipment and interconnections needed to support Phase A, has also been completed, at a total cost of around €800,000. Its performance has been assessed as satisfactory and meets the operational requirements of all the agencies involved. New staff To ensure the system runs smoothly, 33 new civil service positions have been approved, at an annual cost of €1.09 million, distributed between the Forestry Department (€618,692), the Fire Service (€305,324) and Civil Defence (€171,200). The possibility of granting 20 hourly-paid positions to the Forestry Department will also be examined. Funding Costs for the current year, 2026, will be covered through savings and reallocations within the existing budgets of the ministries involved. From 2027 onward, the required amounts will be built into the official spending ceilings of the responsible agencies. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Moussiouttas urges football clubs to settle Social Insurance debts before September 14 deadline Enaerios traffic lights out of service in Limassol, repair due Monday Hotel basement fire in Peyia brought under control Electric scooter catches fire in Nicosia flat, resident stops it from spreading Paphos gang attack on delivery drivers leaves five injured, 35-year-old arrested Half a kilo of cocaine found in Famagusta apartment raid, 26-year-old arrested YKAN officer injured after driver rams police cars fleeing Larnaca field search Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.