40 Maltese CPD Officers Deployed To Portugal To Help Battle Wildfires
Forty Civil Protection officers are being sent to Portugal to help combat wildfires caused by an intense heatwave, drought, and water shortages, the fifth international mission Maltese firefighters have taken on in just two years.
The first group of 20 officers left Malta today, with the remaining contingent set to join them soon.
Despite the deployment, the Civil Protection Department confirmed that resources at home remain sufficient to maintain full service in Malta and Gozo.
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In recent years, Maltese Civil Protection teams have assisted in emergencies in Greece, Turkey, and Libya, with Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri crediting major investment in equipment, training, and working conditions for enabling these international missions.
This transformation was made possible thanks to significant government investment, not only in equipment and training, but also in our firefighters themselves, who now enjoy the best conditions and salaries they have ever had,” Camilleri said.
Director General Peter Paul Coleiro also urged the public to remain vigilant about fire risks in dry rural areas during the summer months.
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