With the weather conditions deteriorating as it’s typical at this time of year, a day in the life of the Civil Protection Department gets ever more unpredictable. TheJournal.mt has learnt that over the past 9 years, the Civil Protection Department has invested over €14 million to improve its fleet of vehicles and administration system. These are some of the new additions that make one of Malta’s most favourite disciplined forces well-equipped and capable of responding to all kinds of emergencies.
Over 95 new vehicles
New equipment for maritime emergencies
Another important investment was that related to maritime emergencies with the purchase of a new dinghy, as well as underwater drones. These help officers deal with underwater emergencies more efficiently as they give a clear picture of what they are dealing with below the surface.
This investment in equipment is not only unprecedented in terms of expenditure but also since the equipment being bought nowadays is brand new. In fact, TheJournal.mt is informed that up until a few years ago, the Civil Protection Department was constrained to buying second-hand equipment which had already been well past it’s time in other countries such as the UK.
New AI system
A new Artificial Intelligence system has been installed at the Civil Protection Department’s control room, which allows firefighters to have access to emergency information immediately. This €2 million EU co-funded project made it possible for all vehicles to be equipped with a tablet that is always connected to the control room’s system.
This investment in the Civil Protection Department is part of a wider strategy of investment in the security ector. In fact, from €5 million invested in 2012, the budget has increased to €30 million in 2021.
