Hellenic Fire Corps

In July 2018, in response to the tragic consequences of the fires that ravaged Greece, SNF’s Board of Directors decided to support once more the invaluable work of the Hellenic Fire Department. Our goal was to contribute to the difficult work of firefighters who risk their lives on the front lines for the safety of their fellow citizens, and the preservation of Greece’s natural resources, and to reinforce at the same time the Department’s infrastructure to help prevent disasters of such magnitude in the future. Τhe main axes of the grant included the construction of a Training Center in Nea Makri, Attica, the procurement of personal protective gear, as well as the design and implementation of educational programs in Greece and abroad.

* Turn on subtitles using the "CC" button at the bottom of the video player

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) – Hellenic Fire Corps Training Center will be completed by the end of 2022.

Personal protective gear was delivered to the firefighters in early summer of 2020.

The implementation of educational programming began in November 2021 and is still ongoing.

The grant to the Hellenic Fire Corps in 2018 followed on the heels of a series of grants totaling €41.000.000. SNF has supported, among others, the procurement of a Super Puma helicopter that has aided firefighting efforts for several years, and the purchase of 15 firefighting vehicles to meet the needs of the Fire Corps. SNF has also supported the construction of a training center for the 1st Special Disaster Response Units (EMAK), and a long-standing Fire Corps staff training program on forest fires in collaboration with the British Columbia Wildfire Service in Canada. Greek firefighters participating in the program trained their colleagues back home upon return. Grants have also supported the purchase of equipment for volunteer firefighters on the islands of Cephalonia and Samos.