Merseyside firefighters are among those rescue personnel, who are being deployed to help Greece fight wildfires that continue to devastate parts of the country.
The team is made up of firefighters from Merseyside, Lancashire, London, South Wales, West Midlands, and NRAT (National Resilience Assurance Team) officers. They will be flying to Athens, the capital of Greece, to help with the firefighting task.
National Resilience Assurance Team
The team deployment comes, following a formal request to the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) National Resilience Assurance Team, from the UK Home Secretary, to give operational assistance to Greece.
The National Resilience Assurance Team will be led by officers from the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS)
The National Resilience Assurance Team will be led by officers from the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS), the lead authority for National Resilience, and will be overseen by MFRS’ Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Nick Searle, in his lead role for National Resilience.
Tactical firefighting experts deployed
The team of experts will be deployed, alongside their Greek counterparts, in tactical firefighting. Any team sent is entirely self-sufficient, ensuring that no additional burden is placed upon a country, which is already suffering demands on its resources, while faced with the aftermath of sudden on-set disasters.
UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel said “I’ve seen firsthand this week, the devastating wildfires ripping through Greece and the UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our Greek friends, at this difficult time.”
Supporting Greek emergency services
Priti Patel adds, “I’ve asked the National Fire Chiefs Council to send out a specialist team, to provide support in responding to this emergency. I am immensely grateful to the brave firefighters for stepping forward and volunteering to help, and their expertise will be invaluable in supporting the Greek emergency services.”
Phil Garrigan, the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service’s Chief Fire Officer, said “The team of 21 firefighters will offer professional and technical skills to our friends and colleagues in Greece, at a time when they need us the most. I have no doubt that our teams will do all they can to assist our colleagues in Greece, along with their communities, during these devastating wildfires.”
Tackling devastating wildfires in Greece
These fires are devastating the communities and putting lives at risk"
Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan adds, “I am extremely proud that we and other Fire & Rescue Services, from across the country, have been able to step up and mobilize a team within 24 hours of the initial request. It is by no means a surprise, as helping people is what we do and our desire to help will not be limited by borders.”
He further stated, “Our Greece counterparts are struggling to deal with the scale of the wildfires. These fires are devastating the communities and putting lives at risk, and it is only right that we as a country assist them.”
Wildfires caused by a severe heat wave
The wildfires have been largely caused due to the country’s most severe heatwave in 30 years, with temperatures soaring to more than 40 degrees centigrade, in some areas. More fires are likely in the near future, with forecasts of strong winds and searing temperatures.
National Fire Chiefs Council’s National Resilience function is in place, to deploy both in the United Kingdom and in overseas territories. Previous deployments of the NFCC’s National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT) have included the nations of Iraq, Turkey, Algeria, Pakistan, India, Iran, Mozambique, Indonesia, Haiti, New Zealand, Japan, Bosnia, and Nepal.