The first director of the Civil Protection Department, Joseph Micallef, has passed away, the department said.

He was 82.

In a post on its Facebook page, the department expressed its condolences to the family.

The CPD was established in 1996, and Micallef served as its first director until 2000.

Micallef joined the civil service in 1958, working at the agricultural department.

He served in other departments during his 42 years of career.

In 1989 he was appointed as a member of the Civil Protection Committee until 1991. A year later he was named secretary of the Civil Protection Directorate.