Cyprus conducts final wildfire evacuation drill in Fini and Kalopanayiotis

On Wednesday, the Cypriot Civil Defence conducted its seventh and final evacuation exercise for the fire season in the communities of Fini and Kalopanayiotis. The operation was overseen by the Minister of Interior, Constantinos Ioannou, who visited the Operational Coordination Centre at the Platres Community Council. The drill tested response protocols under the 'Polyvios' emergency plan, which involved evaluating the coordination between the Civil Defence, Police, Fire Service, Red Cross, and local authorities. During the event, participants received a real-time test notification via the CY-Alert system. The Minister stated that these exercises aim to address past deficiencies and improve operational readiness for potential real-world fire scenarios. Throughout May and June, a total of seven such exercises were held across ten communities in Cyprus. The Minister emphasized that these drills ensure all agencies are prepared for simultaneous incidents in different locations.