Western Greece firefighters dispute new police ID requirement

The Union of Fire Service Employees of the Western Greece and Islands region reported that the Fire Service headquarters issued an urgent order obliging fire personnel to obtain a new Police Identity Card (ΔΑΤ) and submit a photocopy to their service unit. The union highlighted that firefighters, like military and other security staff, already hold special service identity documents that remain valid for remote identification until 25 September 2027, and the law also permits them to request the return of their original police IDs if they are not destroyed.

Union officials questioned the legal basis for demanding the new civil police IDs, noting that operational identification continues to rely on the special service documents, not the civilian IDs required of all Greek citizens. They have forwarded a formal inquiry to the Fire Service leadership seeking clarification of the applicable statutes and have advised members who have already obtained or are about to obtain the new IDs to refrain from submitting the required copies until the matter is resolved. The statement was signed by Union President Vasilios Feretakis and General Secretary Andreas Oikonomidis.