No fire alert issued as early warning system not yet deployed
An early warning system alerting people to the risk of fire near them was not activated during the devastating conflagration this week as Cyprus has no such system in place.
Daily Politis contacted Civil Defence, the agency tasked with deploying and operating the Public Warning System or PWS.
Responding to a direct question, Civil Defence said no such system has been deployed yet.
About two dozen villages in the Limassol district were completely engulfed by flames this week, and two people were found dead in a burnt-out car on the road between the villages of Monagri and Alassa.
Also, as of Thursday afternoon 16 people had been hospitalised at Limassol’s accident and emergency unit due to injuries related to the fire, two of whom suffered burns.
Politis suggested an early warning system may well have helped avoid this.
Authorities here were supposed to implement a ‘New Generation 112’ system designed to enhance public safety. Back in February, a Civil Defence spokesman had told the Cyprus Mail of plans to roll out the system.
Under it, emergency calls to 112 in Cyprus would be handled by Civil Defence as part of the transition to the NG 112 system, in line with EU regulations.
The upgrade would introduce advanced features such as geolocation, video calling, text messaging, and improved accessibility for disabled individuals.
The transition involves developing new software, installing modern equipment, and establishing a unified crisis management centre. Multiple agencies, including the police, fire department, ambulance service, and digital policy ministry, were working together to ensure a smooth handover.
Politis also revealed that the relevant legislation, bringing Cyprus in line with the EU regulations, was transposed into domestic law back in 2022.
The daily said that in late January this year, Greens MP Charalambos Theopemptou had formally asked the interior minister about this very issue. The minister’s response came on May 7.
In his reply, the interior minister confirmed that the Civil Defence had been designated as the authority to implement and operate the PWS. The same agency is responsible for setting up a nationwide crisis management centre.
Targeted alerts via PWS would be sent en masse to people in proximity of fires or other emergencies. Mobile phone providers would be obligated to possess the tech to instantly send out these messages, free of charge.
Theopemptou had also asked the minister why the system had yet to be used, even in a limited, localised way – such as for alerts regarding road closures or bad weather.
The minister said the system had not been deployed yet because the tender process was under evaluation.