The Civil Protection Department has been equipped with five new fire trucks. 

The Hawker vehicles, which cost €1.5 million, were inaugurated by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri on Friday.

He said the new vehicles should help the department in its day-to-day work and challenges. These include driving through narrow roads and lanes which are typical of certain towns and villages in Malta and Gozo.

CPD director-general Emanuel Psaila said the vehicles were the first of their kind in Europe and would be making a big difference in people’s lives. They will enable civil protection officers to do their work more effectively while being better protected, he said.