The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has donated a new firefighting vehicle to the Penteli Volunteer Fire Unit, nearly two years after an assessment found that the team was relying on aging equipment that frequently broke down.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America blessed the vehicle Friday, July 17, during a ceremony attended by volunteer firefighters, Greek government representatives, Hellenic Fire Service officers, clergy and local officials.
The donation grew out of the Archdiocese’s response to the August 2024 wildfire in northeastern Attica. An Archdiocesan delegation visited affected communities later that month to meet residents and assess local needs.
A post-fire assessment by the Archdiocese found that the Penteli unit’s fire truck and other equipment were at least 24 years old and frequently broke down. The Archdiocese later donated the new vehicle, which was delivered this summer.
Nikos Papaefstathiou, Greece’s secretary general for Civil Protection, said the donation would strengthen the unit’s operational readiness. The Penteli volunteers respond to more than 270 emergency incidents each year, including fires and emergencies arising from natural events or human activity.
During the ceremony, Archbishop Elpidophoros recalled encountering a fire while attending a summer camp near Florina as a high school student. He joined others who tried to contain the flames with tree branches and whatever tools were available.
“I have felt firsthand what fire means and the devastation it can cause,” he said.
The Penteli vehicle follows earlier fire-relief work organized by the Archdiocese and supported by Greek-American donors. After the 2021 wildfires in northern Evia, the Archdiocese donated two ambulances and medical equipment to the health centers in Istiaia and Mantoudi.
The vehicle gives the Penteli volunteers updated equipment during Greece’s 2026 fire season.