CTIF Statement regarding the recent convictions of several fire chiefs in Greek after the deadly 2018 Mati fire

Recently a number of fire chiefs within the Greek fire service were convicted in court for their handling of the 2018 Mati wildfire in Greece where 104 people died. This is a statement from CTIF regarding that sentence.   

This statement was prompted by the 2018 wildfire in Mati, east of Athens, Greece, which resulted in 104 deaths, making it the deadliest wildfire in the country's history and the second-deadliest in the 21st century after Australia's 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.

The high death toll led to strong criticism of the Greek government for its lack of preparedness. The Mati area was a residential area surrounded by forest and at high risk of wildfires, yet it lacked adequate evacuation access roads, warning systems, and other civil protection measures. Many residents and vacationers were trapped in their cars or homes and died, while others drowned trying to escape into the sea.

A Greek court convicted six individuals, including five former firefighting and disaster response officials, of criminal negligence leading to injury and loss of life.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons License

Fire burning down the side of a hill in Greece

Date: 18 July 2007

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/66012345@N00/964251167/

Author: Lotus R

Accountability for Operational Decision Making

CTIF Statement following consideration of the implications of the 2018 Mati Fire Greece

CTIF would be concerned internationally if those responsible for exercising jurisdiction were not fully aware of the dynamic nature of decision making in extreme time pressured and information deficient events or did not have regard for the allocation of material and political resources available to support preplanning, exercising and preparing for such demanding and stressful events.

Introduction

In the post millennium period it appears to be increasingly the case that operational decision making for emergency first responders has become far more challenging; a fact illustrated by criminal convictions following the 2018 Mati Fire in Greece (shown in the Annexe).

Undoubtedly in emergency response some operational situations have become more complex, a point clearly recognisable in both the natural environment, where the impacts of climate change are most obvious and within the built one, where new technologies have introduced materials and products without full regard to the risk they pose.

In many of these case knowledge and skills are chasing experience to develop preplanning and preparation. Understanding through science and research is lacking as new phenomena emerge on how fires are initiated, grow and spread.

In addition there is now a new dimension present during post event analysis and examination. The dimension or expectation, contextualised by greater social and litigious scrutiny, that that ignorance cannot be a reason for perceived or obvious failures. 

As a consequence:

• Decision making is becoming more challenging,

• Fire service leaders are being held responsible more often, and

• Operational circumstances are evolving into more complex scenarios.

Discussion

Acting with honesty, integrity and care are requirements for all firefighters and for those in leadership positions. It is equally imperative they are able and willing to account for their actions with candour, detailed consideration and full disclosure of any information used to make decisions. Conversely and equally it is also important that those holding emergency response decision makers to account recognise how, in the sometimes complex and pressurised situations firefighters face, those decisions are made.

It is acknowledged within fire and rescue services there is a clear responsibility to assess risk and plan accordingly to control emergencies, save lives and property so as to return to safe conditions. 

Responses consequently must seek to identify hazards and adjust any strategies and tactics to control developing situations, which requires a dynamic decision-making process. In pressurised circumstances timely situational awareness, often dependent upon inter agency collaboration, is essential to secure the necessary information.

Clear lines of responsibility for competent first responders who must identify risks and control measures, communicate internally and externally, and learn to adapt to changes are fully recognised. So too is the requirement to pre-plan and dynamically address decisions. However effective emergency response decision making requires all services working together in a structured process, usually with some form of joint decision process, and having a shared situational awareness.

Likewise and importantly preplanning is critical as it ensures emergency services are ready to respond cohesively and rapidly to incidents. Features like standard operating practices and shared intelligence dominate as do risk assessment tools and joint training and exercising.

The requirement for a systemic approach that involves emergency response, land use planning, public education, and inter-agency coordination is fully illustrated in wildfires. Building community resilience is not the responsibility of a single entity; it requires a shared commitment across society. 

Policy makers must adopt and enforce modern codes, invest in preparedness; fire service leaders must ensure coordination and training; researchers must provide data-driven insights; the construction industry must adopt fire-resistant practices; and the public must stay informed and engaged in preventive actions to protect their properties. Only through this collective, comprehensive approach can we build safer communities and help prevent future tragedies.

In wildfire situations awareness of the speed and direction of fire growth and the identification of persons and property at risk can be extremely challenging. It is a continuing area of learning for fire and rescue services, especially in the densely populated area of Northern Europe, as climate change and new aspects of fire growth phenomenon emerge. 

One serious outcome of these changes is that developing practical responses, that can foresee and plan for a specific fire occurrence within a defined area, both for preplanning and response, are bounded by constraints. Many first responder firefighters are volunteers and preplanning for emergency events is a multi-agency activity that requires adequate resources and political support to be allocated and willingly applied.

Additionally, wildfires are extreme multi causal events that occur where the wildland, or natural environment, interfaces with the urban, or built environment, occupied by people and property. The impact of these fires can be devastating if this interface is not effectively managed primarily by fuel reduction. 

Further we must recognise that we have a poor historical perspective about such fires. The influence of climate change on the natural environment and inadequacy of fire protection and prevention measures to mitigate the impact on the built environment is increasingly demonstrating a requirement to revise building and planning codes and establish public preparedness and emergency response.

Annexe

This statement was prompted by the 2018 wildfire in Mati, east of Athens, Greece, which resulted in 104 deaths, making it the deadliest wildfire in the country's history and the second-deadliest in the 21st century after Australia's 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. The high death toll led to strong criticism of the Greek government for its lack of preparedness. 

The Mati area was a residential area surrounded by forest and at high risk of wildfires, yet it lacked adequate evacuation access roads, warning systems, and other civil protection measures. Many residents and vacationers were trapped in their cars or homes and died, while others drowned trying to escape into the sea.

A Greek court convicted six individuals, including five former firefighting and disaster response officials, of criminal negligence leading to injury and loss of life.

The convicted officials include:

Sotiris Terzoudis: Former chief of the Greek Fire Service, found guilty of negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm for diverting a helicopter meant to aid firefighting efforts.

Vassilis Matthaiopoulos: Former deputy chief of the Fire Service, found guilty of negligent homicide over the deaths of nine people who drowned. He was also independently sentenced for attempted unlawful coercion and breach of duty for threatening a forensic expert investigating the fire.

Ioannis Fostieris: Former head of the Unified Fire Department Operations Coordination Centre, found guilty of homicide by negligence.

Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos: Former commander of the Athens Fire Service, found guilty of manslaughter by negligence of 102 people and causing bodily harm by negligence to 32 people.

Charalambos Chionis: Former commander of the Fire Service of Eastern Attica, found guilty of homicide by negligence of 102 people and causing bodily harm by negligence to 32 people.

The court ruled that the response was poorly coordinated, including a large sea evacuation, and that firefighting forces lacked coordination. The Fire Service also failed to recommend organized evacuations or inform the public through media.

Eleven defendants, including political officials like the former Attica region governor and local mayors, were acquitted, leading to further anger from victims' families. The case will be retried in an Appeals Court, but there is concern that the statute of limitations will expire in 2026 due to trial delays.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons License

Fire burning down the side of a hill in Greece

Date: 18 July 2007

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/66012345@N00/964251167/

Author: Lotus R