CESI Firefighters’ Day 2024 

March 11-12 2024 | (Athens, Greece & via Zoom)

Interpretation EN/FR/DE/NL

Additional languages maybe be provided, depending upon registration

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In cooperation with the Greek firefighters´ union EPAYPS, the 2024 Firefighters’ Day will take place in Greece, Athens. Online participation will be possible for the meeting on March 12^th.

The aim is to further explore how the EU and Member States can best support and address the current challenges firefighters are facing.

The extreme weather conditions of the past years led to an exponential growth of natural disasters threats. Forest fires, heatwaves and droughts have reached alarming levels.

The European Union has emerged as a pivotal force in supporting firefighters through the Civil Protection Mechanism and implementing strategies to combat forest fires and other natural disasters catalyzed by climate change.

In the frame of bilateral encounters and visits, the challenges for the Greek civil protection and disaster response authorities shall be addressed.

During the meeting on Tuesday March 12th, the delegations shall present their respective forecasts, challenges and expectations.

The meeting will take place in Athens at various locations and via Zoom.

Provisional programme and agenda:

#InvestInPublicServices #Syncrisis #SocialEurope #EU2030

 Monday, 11th of March 2024

15:30 – Visit at the Hellenic Fire Campus – Stavros Niarchos Foundation premises at Nea Makri, Attica

17:30 – Visit at the National Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management, Marousi

18:30 – Meeting with the Commander of the National Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management, Fire General Dimitrios Briolas, at the Hellenic Fireservice Headquarters, Marousi

20:00 – Official Dinner

Tuesday, 12th of March 2024 – Melina Merkouri Centre (Iraklidon 66, Athina 118 51) Athens, Greece

09:00 – Welcome address ‘CESI Firefighters’ Day 2024’

Klaus Heeger, CESI Secretary General

Antonis Koukouzas, Fire Officer, EPAYPS

09:10 – Round-table – presentation of all the firefighters’ delegations

09:40 – The working conditions of firefighters in the EU – report from the hearing in the European Parliament

Dragoș Pîslaru, Member of the European Parliament Committee, Chair of the EMPL Committee and co-organiser of the hearing on the working conditions of firefighters (video message)

10:00 – Experiences and further improvements of the EU in terms of civil protection

Deputy-Director Hans Das, in charge of Deputy Director-General in charge of Directorate ECHO European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations

10:30 – Current challenges and exchanges of best practices

• • Frédéric Monchy, SNSPP-PATS
  • Alain Laratta, Avenir Secours
  • Valentino Tagliaferro, komba
  • NN, CNV Connectief
  • Vasilis Bikas, EPAYPS

 11:30 – The SYNCRISIS-project and how climate change has impacts on the European workforce

Tilemachos Dafnis, Policy Advisor, CESI

 11:45 – The way ahead – key demands and adoption of a Firefighters´ Manifesto

(optional) Visit at the Special Unit of Wildfires Operations premises at Villia, Attica