Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus still has a long way to go in preventing disasters despite progress made, Savvas Savva said, calling for better training and preparedness. Savva urged individuals and businesses to act immediately during incidents and learn basic safety skills.
Call for preparedness and training
Savva said people should stay alert and prepare even for unlikely extreme events, arguing that full preparedness can save lives. He encouraged people not to wait for others to respond in an incident and said both individuals and businesses should learn first aid, how to use a fire extinguisher and how to evacuate a building safely.
Savva said programmes are available and sponsored, but some businesses focus on working hours lost rather than lives that can be saved. He described that attitude as “both frustrating and criminal”.
Honoured during fire safety week
On April 20, Savva was honoured in his civilian capacity along with two other individuals for their support in firefighting as part of the Fire Brigade’s 25th annual fire safety week. The event was sponsored by ERB Asfalistiki under the slogan “Let’s Not Let Our Dreams Turn to Ashes”.
Two decades of emergency response work
Savva has spent nearly 20 years fighting fires, administering first aid, evacuating buildings and communities, and training people. He is head of the response team in Tseri, where he lives, and is also part of a similar team in his home village of Alona. He is also a department head in Civil Defence.
When not acting in his Civil Defence capacity, Savva assists people as a civilian by stopping at accidents, providing first aid and identifying potential risks. He keeps his car stocked with first aid kits, defibrillators, reflective safety vests that he gives to those who need them, oxygen and other emergency supplies.
Savva is also a first aid instructor for the Red Cross, the police and other services and forces, and has served as health and safety officer in Tseri and Alona. He said he became involved for humanitarian reasons and provides services wherever needed, including as an immediate response liaison for the fire brigade and the police, offering services and advice free of charge as a civilian.
“In case of an accident, I will pull over, give first aid, secure the scene and wait for the ambulance to arrive,” Savva said. He added that while he has been honoured many times by groups and relatives of people he has helped, he sees his actions as what anyone should do.
What disaster-prevention training would you like to see offered more widely in your community?
