Fire Brigade Headquarters 
The fire brigade headquarters are situated in Athens and constitute the core of the service, 
and its general management. 

Regional administrations of the fire services 
The regional administrations are advisory and administrative services founded in 1987 and 
operate under the command of the fire brigade headquarters. They bridge a gapm in 
co-ordination existed previously between the headquarters and the combat units due to lack of 
intermediate management. 

The administrations of fire services 
These are independant fire services located in big towns, where at least two fire stations operate. 
They are attached to the regional administrations and their task is to co-ordinate and control the activities of the fire stations of their jurisdiction. 

Fire stations 
The fire stations are combat units of the fire brigade and their mission is to carry out the total preventive and fire extinguishing work of their competence as defined by the service regulations. 
Their activities are limited to a particular area of responcibility.The personnel is performing the operational work 24 hours a day, every day throughout the year.The 24 hour working period is devided into threee 8 hour shifts run alternatively by the firemen of the station who are bound to offer 37,5 hours of work weekly.To deal with emergencies the commanding officer is authorized to impose extra working hours or to put part or the hole of the force on alert. 
The fire stations are classified into: 
a.Town fire stations ranking from A to D depanding on the risk factor of the area. 
b.Port fire stations. 
c.Military airport fire stations ranking from A to C. 
d.Civil airport fire stations ranking from A to C. 
e. Volunteer fire stations manned by three professional firemen and 10 up to 35 volunteers, 
depending on the rank of the fire station and the available facilities. The law 1951 of 1991 has established the novel institution of the volunteer fireman in this country. In other countries where the volunteer services have a long history of considerable social constribution, the public has adopted the idea of the volunteer fireman and the citizen consider it an honour to be a member of the volunteer services. The volunteer fireman helps and supports the professionals to save human lives and property from the perils of arson, natural and technological disasters. The above mentioned law offers the possibility to municipalities to form their own volunteer services under certain conditions. The fire brigade promotes and supports this idea, because gradually a country - wide network is created to better fulfill the operational needs. On the other hand the volunteer service will strengthen the relation between the fire brigade and the citizen and will eventually develop their consciousness of fire prevention and fighting. 

Special units. 
The special units of the fire brigade are highly trained in professional centres of this country as well as abroad to face serious incidents, like singular fires, earthquakes, industrial, technological and enviromental hazards. The first Disaster Management Special Unit (EMAK) started operating in the year 1986 as a special branch for forest fires combat, and has participated in the rescue operations, immediately after the severe earthquake which shook the town and area of Kalamata in 1986, saving the lives of 13 people from beneathe the rubble. It is an air- borne unit of rapid intervention acting all over Greece as well as abroad if it is requested. For the time being this unit is based at the Air Force Airport of Elefsis (112 Fighting Wing) and its mission is: 
a. To deal with singular fires i.e. of refineries, storage spaces for liquid fuels, chemical products, explosives and large building and industrial sites. 
b. To face fire accidents in military sites. 
c. To provide help and to deal with disasters caused by earthquakes, and to search, locate and rescue missing or trapped people with the assistance of trained dogs. 
d. To deal with large scale disasters caused by flooding and other natural causes as well as sea, lake and river accidents. 

To rescue people and goods at risk underwater. 
e. To deal with air, rail and other traffic accidents which require expertise and special equipment. 
f. To deal with the leakage of dangerous chemicals and any other enviromental incidents. In 
addition to its highly trained personnel the special unit is supported with up-to-date mechanical 
equipment as follows : 
- A special rescue vehicle with full rescue equipage. 
- A special vehicle to extinguish fires in refineries. 
- A special vehicle for gathering and separating toxic wastes during industrial and enviromental 
incidents. 
- Underwater equipage for the rescue of people at risk from sea, lake and river incidents. Special 
facilities are also at the disposal of the unit to deal with earthquake hazards. 
The special unit till now has successfully operated in many incidents abroad, like: the earthquakes of the year 1988 in Armenia, of Erjitjan in Turkey, of Cairo in Egypt, and also during the disastrous earthquake of Dinar, Turkey of 1995. As far as the greek territory is concearned, the special unit has participated in cooperation with the local fire services in the rescue operations of the severe earthquake of 1995 which shattered the town of Egion saving 91 people who were trapped in the ruins. In addition to that, the special unit operated effectively to extinguish the fires of: 
- The ½PETROLA╗ refineries - the site of fuel storage in Perama, Pireus. 
- The big fire of ½Athens papermills╗ (SOFTEX) 
- The expanded forest fire of Pendeli 
- The floods of the greater Athens area 
 
In recognition of its great social contribution, the special unit has been honoured by the AthensAcademy, the supreme intellectual foundation of this country and commended by the former SovietUnion and the governments of Turkey and Egypt. Moreover in 1995 the president of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Kostis Stefanopoulos in recognition of the great constribution of the unit, to the Egion earthquake disaster, decorated the flag of the fire brigade with the ôCross of the Order of Honourö. 

Special services 
The special services of the fire brigade are; 
a. The Fire Brigade Academy 
b. The co-ordinating operational centre. (199) 
c. The general storehouse 
d. The fire brigade workshops. 
 
The fire brigade Academy 
The FBA was founded in Athens in the year 1968, as the fire brigade school, and was housed in the premises of the then command of the fire brigade in the centre of the city. Since 1979 the school is housed in its own premises in Kato Kifissia.In 1993, after a review of its educational role the school was designated as the Fire Brigade Academy. The mission of the FBA is the education and the expert training of the civilians who join the corps as well as the officers and other staff in order to enhance their role in dealing more efficiently with their complex functions. 
The Academy operates under the fire brigade command ; its commanding officer being a senior officer of the fire brigade. The FBA includes the following schools: 
a. The school of officer cadets. 
b. The school of chief firemen. 
c. The school of firemen. 
d. The school of post graduate studies and training. 
e. The foreign languages school. 
The school of officer cadets of the FBA enjoys university status ; the duration of studies is 
eight semesters. The cadet school lieutenants are recruited from either inside the corps who have passed the general examinations or from university graduates (chemical, technical, electrical, civil and naval engineers ; architects, computer technology specialists, chemists, physicists, lawyers, economists). 
The schoolÆs mission is the theoretical and practical training of the cadet officers on topics such as fire-fighting, rescue, preventive fire protection, arson and any other technical skills necessary, to bring forth able officers to accomplish their mission. The teaching is carried out by university professors, senior officers of the corps and invited lecturers. 

School of chief firemen 
The duration of studies is six months ; the chief firemen cadets come partly from employees of the fire brigade, holders of the certificate of secondary aducation, who have passed the relevant admission examinations are university graduates. The mission of the school is the theoretical and practical training of the cadets in order to enhance their professional skills and prepare them for their new functions i.e. preventive fire protection and making inquiries. 

school of firemen 
The duration of studies varies between four and six months. Training is obligatory for Greek citizens, male or female, who join the corps after having completed their military service and passed relevant admission examinations.Age limit for admission to the school is 26 years, with the exemption of university graduates who can still enter the school at the age of 30. Women should be at least 18 years old. The number of persons admitted to the school varies depending on the needs of the fire brigade and is supplemented by graduates, holders of the certificate of secondary education, professional drivers, car mechanics, other technicians e.t.c. 
Junior staff of the fire brigade (up to the ranch of major) are offered the possibility to enhance their theoretical and technical knowledge, and familiarize with recent developments of fire fighting techniques, by attending special courses. 

The school of foreign languages 
Its mission is to teach English, French and German to the staff of all ranks of the fire brigade 

Co-ordinating operational centre (199) 
The co-ordinating operational centre is attached directly to the headquarters and its functions are operational, co-ordinating and informative.Its main task is to receive, on a 24-hour basis, emergency calls from within the greater Athens area and to mobilize the fire - fighting forces. It records all incidents taking place during day and night and reports to the relevant departments of the fire brigade. 

The fire brigade general storehouse (GAYPS) 
Its main function is to supply in true the FB services with the necessary mechanical equipment, 
garments, housing, furniture and any other kind of material for their operational needs ; it takes also care to maintain in good condition the stock. 

The FB workshops 
They have as objectives the repair and recovery of all damages of the fire engines and machinery; 
it also takes care and issues instructions for their maintenance.