The Rhodes Environmental Protection Association, with the aim of informing its members, supporters, and the general public about current developments in forest fire management, organized an evening event on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. on the topic:
“Analysis of the Current Situation and Prospects for Improving the Forest Fire Management System”
The event opened with a welcome address by the Association’s president, Mr. Yiannis Stavlas, who introduced the topic to the audience.
This was followed by a screening of the documentary “Burning Memories,” which captures the experiences of the local community in July 2023. The videos and photographs were provided by Mr. Nikos Kaseri, with artistic direction by Alexandros Louizidis and text by Ms. Marietta Gavriloti.
The keynote speaker for the evening was Lieutenant Colonel Savvas Kotridis, who presented the planned upgrades to the operational functioning of the aerial firefighting system, as well as international trends regarding the characteristics and performance of next-generation firefighting aircraft.
This was followed by a panel discussion featuring prominent figures from the Rhodes Fire Department, the Forestry Directorate, and the Civil Protection agencies of the Region and the Municipality of Rhodes:
- Mr. Michael Thomatos, Deputy Mayor for Civil Protection of the Municipality of Rhodes
- Mr. Athanasios Syroulanis, Fire Chief and Commander of the Rhodes Fire Department
- Mr. Michael Papadakis, Lieutenant General (Ret.), Regional Civil Protection Coordinator for the Region of South Aegean
- Mr. Savvas Kotridis, Lieutenant Colonel—Hellenic Air Force Pilot, Captain-Instructor, and Test Pilot for Canadair CL-215 aircraft
- Mr. Dimitrios Lefakis, representative of the Dodecanese Forestry Directorate
- Mr. Manolis Kyriakoulis, Head of the Civil Protection Office of the Municipality of Rhodes
The discussion was moderated by the Association’s Vice President, Mr. Dimitris Grigoriadis.
The discussion was of a high caliber, with references to the following:
- the organization, operation, and objectives of Civil Protection structures at the regional and Municipality of Rhodes levels in Rhodes
- support structures and decision-making procedures in crisis situations
- the organization of aerial firefighting operations
- the factors affecting firefighting operations
- future aircraft types and the technology used
The event was concluded by the president and vice president of the Rhodes Environmental Protection Association, Mr. Yiannis Stavlas and Mr. Dimitris Grigoriadis, respectively, who thanked the event’s organizers and sponsors (the Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Manolis Papadimitriou).
The Rhodes Environmental Protection Association, with the aim of keeping its members as fully informed as possible, will continue to highlight the work of every link in the environmental protection chain. As part of this effort, it invites professionals in the field to register as members and contribute to its work.
