Minister for Home Affairs Byron Camilleri inaugurated new vehicles that were purchased as part of the investment made in the Civil Protection Department.

Speaking at a press conference in Kalkara on Monday, Camilleri spoke about three new investments in vehicles and equipment which are to be used by civil protection workers.

The vehicles include heavy rescue vehicles, to be used for major rescue incidents, as well as hazmat first response vehicles which will be used during incidents where chemicals, radiation and biological materials are involved.

The government also invested in vehicles for forest-fire fighting, which Camilleri said will be useful for the coming months in case of fires in Maltese fields due to the heat.

Camilleri said that over the past two years, 34 new vehicles were purchased by government, making part of a series of investments which reassure the public as well as civil protection employees that they are being given the optimal equipment for the job.

He said that the government is waiting on more equipment which has already been ordered.

Camilleri said that alongside improvements made to the Collective Agreement to improve the righs and conditions of civil protection employees, the government has spent €350,000 on training civil protection workers since 2020. In the coming period, the government will spend an additional €150,000 on training.

"We are interested in having the best trained workforce and equipment to provide the best service possible in the shortest amount of time," Camilleri said.