Support Program for Volunteer Forest Firefighting Teams
NO MORE HEROES
On the front lines of the firefighting effort, with consistency and efficiency, volunteer forest firefighters in Greece fight their own battle every year, making a significant contribution to the Civil Protection effort. We often hear statements calling these volunteers “heroes”. It is certainly an honor, but it also hides another reality for these
citizens.
Volunteer wildland firefighters are not “heroes”; they are active members of their local communities who, driven by a strong sense of responsibility, choose to protect nature and their fellow citizens. For more than 15 years, we have been working alongside other organizations to strengthen volunteer groups as an active part of civil society, providing equipment, specialized training, and by engaging in public discourse, so that volunteers can fight on the front lines of wildfires with resources that make them more effective and, above all, safer.
SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR VOLUNTEER FOREST FIREFIGHTING TEAMS
Through the “Support Program for Volunteer Forest Firefighting Teams” (2022–2026), the Non-profit Foundation
Desmos, in collaboration with WWF Greece and HIGGS, empowered volunteers through hands-on experience.
The project was carried out with the support of the Athina I. Martinou Foundation, the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation and the National Bank of Greece, as part of Initiative 21. The contribution from the program’s three supporters, totaling nearly €1,000,000, served as a catalyst, mobilizing additional resources of €500,000 from private initiatives, thereby further expanding the initiative’s positive impact to support more groups.
The program’s nationwide coverage contributed to the sustainability of the teams, to meeting their basic needs for personal protective equipment and wildland firefighting gear, strengthening them through hands-on training,
and enhancing their role within their operational framework. The program’s substantial contribution was immediately evident when all the teams that received support played a decisive role in combating the
devastating wildfires in Attica, Corinthia, Rhodes, and Evros during the 2023 fire season, in the 2024 Attica fire season, and in the 2025 fires in Attica, Crete, Achaea, Preveza, and Chios.
WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED TOGETHER
SPECIALISED EQUIPMENT
Through the program, 2,888 volunteers from 71 forest fire protection teams were provided with high-quality equipment, 24 of which participated in both cycles (2022–2024 and 2024–2026). The evaluation and selection of the teams were conducted transparently, using clear criteria, as well as interviews and on-site inspections at the volunteer teams’ headquarters. This process has now become a model for other organisations.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Through the workshops that were organized, 1,240 volunteers and local community organisations enhanced their knowledge of forest fire prevention and management. The pivotal role of ground crews highlighted the need for practical training in fire suppression as well as in controlling the perimeter of a fire. Consequently, in the second cycle (2024–2026), hands-on field workshops were added, in which 476 volunteers were trained.
PARTICIPATION IN THE PUBLIC DIALOGUE
The program brought the challenges faced by volunteers to the forefront of public discourse. For the first time, through the state’s new “Active Battle” law, the needs of volunteer forest firefighters received targeted support. Now, the law provides for certified training and insurance for volunteers, their institutional mobilisation, financial support for equipment, and justified leave from work.
