The Civil Protection Department is extending two main stations and its Kandja headquarters through a €600,000 investment.
The project, which will see the extension of the Ħal Far and Xemxija stations, will be completed next year.
The development was given the green light 10 months after the CPD complained that unlike other disciplinary corps in Malta, it was not allowed to carry out such work through a simple development notification order.
Director Emanuel Psaila told a news conference on Wednesday that last May, he had expressed concern with the prime minister about such unequal treatment.
Asked by Times of Malta to elaborate, Psaila said that for years CPD officials had been “treated as second class citizens” and it was only recently that issues such as being allowed to join a trade union, signing a collective agreement about work conditions, getting insurance coverage and become eligible for the 25-year service pension were tackled. There was currently “good synergy” with the government, he added.
1,000 vehicles and 350 buildings decontaminated
The CPD, which currently employs 250 people, has seen its workload increase with the provision of COVID-related services.
Psaila told Times of Malta that last year, CPD officials decontaminated over 1,000 government vehicles and 350 public buildings following a confirmed, or suspected COVID case.
Addressing the same press conference, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said the government ensured the best possible equipment and facilities for the CPD and was also continuously investing in the training of personnel.
According to Psaila, CPD personnel aim to arrive on any site where their help is needed within 10 minutes from when they receive the call for assistance.
Over the past weeks, the department's response system has been upgraded with a digital platform to better coordinate emergency responses. The new system now allows first responders to log in information directly onto an app, which is updated in real-time.
It works similarly to software used by ride-sharing apps, meaning drivers, as well as accident locations, can all be seen on a map.