Flood Maps of the Water Development Department
John Kennedy 23, 1st Floor 2314 Lakatamia, Nicosia
PO Box 23830, 1686, Nicosia
PO Box 23830, 1686, Nicosia
The Force
The Cyprus Civil Defence is organized into a hierarchical structure in order to implement its mission. It is staffed with permanent personnel, volunteers and conscripts.
The Force consists of five departments, all staffed with volunteers and supervised by permanent personnel:
- Fisrt Aid
- Welfare
- Neighborhood Watch
- Communications
- Search & Rescue
The members of the Force undergo special and general training in order to staff the Departments.
The Civil Defence Force is deployed in about 40 stations covering the whole island. The training of the conscripts takes place at the stations, which function as a meeting and mobilization point. The stations are staffed with volunteers. They usually consist of a training room and a stock room with support material.
The Cyprus Civil Defence relies on the permanent personnel’s professionalism, as well as on the training, participation and dedication of its volunteers and conscripts. Volunteers are officers and non-commissioned officers of the Force and the conscripts are its members.
The Cyprus Civil Defence Force cooperates with other organizations, as well as other essential services and departments of the Republic of Cyprus. At the forefront is the cooperation with the Police, the Fire Department, the Department of Forests, the Hunting Fund and the District Administration Offices. Other organizations we cooperate with on a broad level are the National Guard, the Department of the Environment, the Water Development Department, the Department of Labour Inspection, the Department of Public Works etc.
Permanent personnel
The permanent personnel of the Force numbers around 35 people. They have executive duties and direct the Civil Defence’s activities.
Volunteers
Volunteers are an essential part of the Civil Defence Force, as it is them who mainly carry out operational tasks. The Cyprus Civil Defence encourages volunteering and it operates on the basis of a specific legal framework for voluntary registration. Volunteers wear the Force’s uniform and participate by signing a statement of terms for their specific services.
There are about 700 volunteers serving the Force. They are trained in the Civil Defence stations and are in charge of their operation. They also participate in training courses abroad.
Volunteer services receive an annual symbolic allowance of the order of 800 Euros, for a minimum of 60 hours of service and for travel expenses.
Conscripts
Τhere are about 4500 male and female conscripts undertaking their service in the Cyprus Civil Defence Force. All citizens of the Republic of Cyprus aged over sixteen years old are subjected to obligatory service in the Force. The conscripts, whose obligatory time of service does not exceed two years, are trained on welfare, first aid, neighborhood watch and communications.
Both male and female conscripts serve in the Force. There is an increased participation of female conscripts, who are also younger, as they are subjected to service after finishing their undergraduate studies. Male conscripts are subjected to service after their dismissal from the National Guard reserves and depending on the Council of Ministers’ relevant decisions.