We are ready to address in time any Search and Rescue (SAR) incident of any scale at sea and to activate supporting means and the rescue process from any shipwreck, Defence Minister Michael Giorgallas told CNA. He pointed out that the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Larnaca, through the “Zenon” coordination centre, monitors all activity and intervenes to rescue people in danger in its area of responsibility – within the boundaries of the Nicosia FIR – either from an air or sea accident. “We are certainly prepared to deal with incidents to the extent of our own capabilities,” he said.
Asked by CNA how ready the Republic of Cyprus is to deal with incidents such as the one in Pylos, Greece, Giorgallas explained that in any case, and depending on the scale of an accident, JRCC activates the Tefkros plan for large-scale incidents at sea and the Nearchos plan for smaller-scale incidents. These two plans, he added, provide for the specific actions to be taken in each case, who is involved, which other agencies are activated and which means are activated.
There are, he said, maritime assets such as National Guard and Coast Guard vessels and if the incidents are of large scale, vessels from the private sector are also enlisted. There are also, he continued, airborne assets, the National Guard and the Police helicopters, while depending on the extent of an incident, the international assistance agreements that the Republic of Cyprus has with neighbouring countries (Israel, Egypt and Lebanon) are also activated, while assistance is also sought from vessels near the incident.
“All this is being monitored and coordinated by the Zenon centre. There is the satellite image in the centre and we are at any time able to activate what is needed because we can see where these vessels are”, he noted, adding that, if necessary, assistance is also requested through the EU’s civil protection mechanism, RescEU.
On incidents such as the wreck off the coast of Pylos, the Defence Minister explained that this is an “extreme” case with many unpredictable factors at sea, where the sinking of a ship immediately creates a huge search area and all comes up to “the ability of the assets and personnel on the scene to do their job as quickly as possible. That is why we attach great importance to the exercises.”
Giorgallas cited as an example the recent “Argonaut” exercise, in cooperation with 8 other countries, which this year simulated an air accident with a sea rescue exercise, while last year it involved a maritime accident.
“We simulate all incidents in real-time exercises and in the Zenon centre simulators, while there is direct contact and cooperation with the competent services of the neighbouring countries, because in some places they also need our help and we need their assistance”, he added.
He also said that if a large-scale incident, such as the one in Greece, were to occur in the area of responsibility of the Republic of Cyprus, the country can activate the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) vessels that patrol the area and transport crews for rest from Lebanon to Cyprus.
The Defence Minister said that there are two accident simulation chambers at the Zenon centre where the training of foreign countries’ personnel has also started, noting that a team from an African country is now being trained there. The training, he added, covers large and small scale incidents in the air, sea and on land.
‘The experience gained over the years at the centre is being fed back to the countries with which we work through joint training and joint exercises, and teams from other countries are also being trained’, concluded the Minister.
Source: Cyprus News Agency