U.S. experts in Greece to assist in fires crisis
A group of six experts in fighting forest fires and dealing with natural disasters from the United States arrived in Greece on Monday to assist Greek authorities in dealing with the fires crisis and its aftermath, the U.S. Embassy announced.
Among them is the US Forest Service's top fire-fighter and disaster-relief specialists from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The U.S. has also shipped another 250,000 dollars in relief supplies to the Greek Red Cross, which brings the total U.S. government assistance to Greece up to 1.5 million dollars to date.
The purpose of the experts' visit, as agreement with the Greek government, is to provide immediate technical assistance and support to Greece's current response to the catastrophic fires, with particular attention to fire management and rehabilitation of burned landscapes, as well as emergency management systems.
The team will visit the areas where Greek fire and recovery operations are currently underway, and observe operations staff at command locations. Based on its findings, the U.S. Forest Service will propose a longer-term capacity building and technical support program to the government of Greece.
U.S. Navy twice assists Greek firefighters
Twice this summer, the Governor's Office of Chania, asked for U.S. Navy assistance to extinguish brush fires in western Crete, on July 30 and August 23. On both occasions, American firefighters successfully battled flames alongside Greek firefighters.
According to a press release issued on Monday by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Athens, on August 23, around Lakki, Crete, a team of six civilian American firefighters and two U.S. Navy sailors worked with a large number of local Greek fire departments, including a contingent of Hellenic Navy firefighters.
“The fire was approximately 2,000 acres and was threatening to get into the village,” said Todd McKinzie, captain of Souda Bay Emergency Services. In addition to two American emergency vehicles, there were about 30 other fire engines from all over Crete battling the flames around Lakki.
The American civilian and military firefighting team helped contain this brush fire throughout the night, and returned to the U.S. Navy base the next morning. "As firefighters, that's what we're here for,” said McKinzie, “to help prevent loss of life and property.”
Greek diaspora donates 1.2 bln dollars in aid for wildfire-affected regions
The Greek diaspora all over the world have sped to contribute in financial aid to the fire-ravaged regions of Greece.
Through the mobilization of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), more than 1,200,000 dollars have been collected, until now, worldwide in support of the fire-affected inhabitants of the Peloponnese and the island of Evia in central Greece.
The Greek Australians donated 755,000 dollars.
Greek Canadians donated 200,000 dollars and the SAE countries of the former Soviet Union 200,000 euros.
Information gathered from:
http://www.hellenicnews.com/...
Among them is the US Forest Service's top fire-fighter and disaster-relief specialists from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The U.S. has also shipped another 250,000 dollars in relief supplies to the Greek Red Cross, which brings the total U.S. government assistance to Greece up to 1.5 million dollars to date.
The purpose of the experts' visit, as agreement with the Greek government, is to provide immediate technical assistance and support to Greece's current response to the catastrophic fires, with particular attention to fire management and rehabilitation of burned landscapes, as well as emergency management systems.
The team will visit the areas where Greek fire and recovery operations are currently underway, and observe operations staff at command locations. Based on its findings, the U.S. Forest Service will propose a longer-term capacity building and technical support program to the government of Greece.
U.S. Navy twice assists Greek firefighters
Twice this summer, the Governor's Office of Chania, asked for U.S. Navy assistance to extinguish brush fires in western Crete, on July 30 and August 23. On both occasions, American firefighters successfully battled flames alongside Greek firefighters.
According to a press release issued on Monday by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Athens, on August 23, around Lakki, Crete, a team of six civilian American firefighters and two U.S. Navy sailors worked with a large number of local Greek fire departments, including a contingent of Hellenic Navy firefighters.
“The fire was approximately 2,000 acres and was threatening to get into the village,” said Todd McKinzie, captain of Souda Bay Emergency Services. In addition to two American emergency vehicles, there were about 30 other fire engines from all over Crete battling the flames around Lakki.
The American civilian and military firefighting team helped contain this brush fire throughout the night, and returned to the U.S. Navy base the next morning. "As firefighters, that's what we're here for,” said McKinzie, “to help prevent loss of life and property.”
Greek diaspora donates 1.2 bln dollars in aid for wildfire-affected regions
The Greek diaspora all over the world have sped to contribute in financial aid to the fire-ravaged regions of Greece.
Through the mobilization of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), more than 1,200,000 dollars have been collected, until now, worldwide in support of the fire-affected inhabitants of the Peloponnese and the island of Evia in central Greece.
The Greek Australians donated 755,000 dollars.
Greek Canadians donated 200,000 dollars and the SAE countries of the former Soviet Union 200,000 euros.
Information gathered from:
http://www.hellenicnews.com/...
Labels: aid, australia, canada, funding, greece, help, money, relief, relief fund, u.s.
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4:53 AM
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