MSC Foundation donates advanced technology to Greek firefighters

Ceremony celebrates delivery of cutting-edge radio equipment worth €60,000 that will help prevent and contain wildfires

Focus Area: Environmental Conservation, Community Support

Global heating has increased the incidence of wildfires and the destruction they cause across the world. Greece experienced its worst heatwave in over 30 years in 2021. During the summer, more than 50 wildfires ravaged the countryside, burning dozens of homes and destroying over 125,000 hectares of forest and arable land, killing at least 3 people and leaving more than 20 with severe injuries. Attica, the region around Athens, suffered some of the worst fires.

MSC’s strong longstanding relationships with Piraeus, the port of Athens, and the communities of the region, impelled the MSC Foundation to action, assisting the Fire Department with a donation of 100 fully accessorised, advanced digital handheld radios worth around €60,000.

This radio equipment will help the Fire Department prevent and contain future outbreaks, enabling firefighters to communicate the location of wildfire challenges promptly and thus coordinate their response efficiently for greatest effect.

The donation was marked by a ceremony at the headquarters of the Athens Fire Department. The ceremony was attended by the Chief of the Fire Department, Lieutenant General Alexios Rapanos, together with Lieutenant General Georgios Pournaras and, on behalf of the MSC Foundation, Christina Theodorika, Chair of MSC Greece S.A., and George Metaxas, CFO of MSC Greece S.A.

Representing the MSC Foundation, MSC Cargo and MSC Cruises, Mrs. Theodorika, commented “The professionalism and courage of the Fire Department did so much to save lives and contain the damage that the devasting wildfires caused to precious natural resources last year. We are pleased to support its valuable work with this cutting-edge new radio equipment. Piraeus, the gateway to Athens, is one of MSC Cargo and MSC Cruises’ main ports. We deeply value our connection with the communities of Attica. So, it is an honour for us to make this contribution to the exceptional work of the Fire Department.”

Thanking the MSC Foundation and in particular MSC S.A. in Switzerland and MSC Greece for jointly funding the purchase, Lieutenant General Rapanos observed “We are very grateful for this generous donation of advanced radio handsets, which will help our teams to respond promptly and with precision to future challenges, protecting valuable natural resources and the safety of their fellow citizens.”

Following the ceremony and a brief tour of the Fire Department Headquarters, the Chief of the Department presented the Chair of MSC Greece with a Shield of the Fire Department as an expression of appreciation.