press releases
U.S. Expert Fire and Disaster Relief Team Arrives in Greece, More U.S. Aid on the Way
Athens (September 3, 2007) -- The U.S. Embassy in Athens today announced the arrival of a six-member team of experts in response to the recent fires. The team includes the top American firefighter from the U.S. Forest Service along with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) disaster relief specialists. In addition, another $250,000 in relief supplies is being shipped to the Hellenic Red Cross. This brings the total of U.S. government assistance to help Greece recover from the recent fires to just over $1.5 million to date.
The purpose of the experts’ visit, as agreed with the Greek government, is to provide immediate technical assistance and support to Greece’s current catastrophic fire response, with particular attention to fire management and rehabilitation of burned landscapes, as well as emergency management systems. The team will visit the areas where Greek fire and recovery operations are currently underway, and observe operations staff at command locations. Based on its findings, the U.S. Forest Service will propose a longerterm capacity building and technical support program to the government of Greece.