Hellenic Fire Service
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Πυροσβεστικό Σώμα Pyrosvestiko Soma |
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| Fire Service overview | |
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| Formed | 1926 |
| Preceding Fire Service |
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| Jurisdiction | Greece |
| Headquarters | Athens, Greece |
| Motto | ΘΑΡΣΕΙΝ ΣΩΖΕΙΝ (be brave and save) |
| Employees | 8,000 |
| Fire Service executive |
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| Website | www |
The Hellenic Fire Service (Greek: Πυροσβεστικό Σώμα) is the national agency of Greece for fire and rescue service. It is part of the Ministry for Citizen Protection.
In 1833, with the establishment of the Greek Kingdom, the fire responsibility was given to the individual prefectures and municipalities. In 1854 a Firemen Company (Λόχος Πυροσβεστών) was formed in Athens, as part of the Greek Army, expanded in 1861 into a two-company mixed sapper and firemen formation (Διλοχία Σκαπανέων και Πυροσβεστών). It was not until 1914 that the corps, now again known as Firemen Company and still under military control, was expanded to other cities outside Athens, covering also Thessaloniki, Patras and Piraeus.
In 1926, the Fire Service was formed as a separate branch within the military, but proved ineffective, so that in 1929, a Greek émigré from Russia, the former head of St Petersburg Fire Service Alkiviadis Kokkinakis, was tasked with reforming the service. In 1930, the Fire Service was reconstituted as an independent national authority under the Ministry of the Interior. Until 1975 the chiefs of the service were transferred from the Gendarmerie or the Cities Police.
From 1998 the Fire Service has also the responsibility for forest fires, taking over from the Forestry Service.
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Wikipedia