Audit flags gaps in civil defence shelter readiness

The audit office on Friday highlighted a series of perceived weaknesses regarding the management and operation of evacuation shelters in its latest report, calling for

 improved information and coordination among competent authorities.

The findings follow a limited-scope audit focusing on the management and operation of civil defence shelters, with particular emphasis on the experience of citizens trying to locate and use them.

The investigation examined the clarity and reliability of available information, the ease of locating shelters, and their accessibility in case of emergency.

As part of the audit, the SafeCY application was tested between March 4 and 7 alongside on-site inspections of 30 shelters in Nicosia district – 21 in urban areas and nine in rural locations.

Information provided through the civil defence operations control centre was also reviewed.

The audit office noted that a broader audit had initially been planned for June last year, but was postponed due to a parallel review by the Republic’s internal audit service covering October 2024 to June this year. That report was shared in January this year.

Following recent developments at the British bases, which were hit by an Iranian-made drone earlier this month, and corrective measures announced by the interior ministry, the audit was narrowed to focus mainly on the SafeCY app.

Test calls to the civil defence operations centre revealed discrepancies between information provided over the phone and that available on the app, raising concerns over data accuracy.

Errors were also found in addresses, photographs and shelter details, making identification difficult. In several cases, key information such as signage numbers and capacity was missing, complicating verification.

The app itself does not provide navigation directions to shelters, requiring users to rely on additional tools. Terms such as “public” and “shared” shelters are not explained, creating confusion, while some listed locations appear to be used for other purposes without guarantees they would be available in an emergency.

In one test case, a caller posing as a resident of a Nicosia apartment building reported that their basement appeared as a shelter on the app, but no signage was found on site. When contacting the operations centre, they were instead directed to the nearest shelter at the Cyprus stock exchange building on Vyronos Street.

The audit office also flagged inconsistent instructions issued by the interior ministry.

Guidance published on March 3 advised citizens to locate the nearest shelter via SafeCY or the operations centre and move there if necessary. However, a subsequent announcement on March 4 instructed citizens to seek refuge in a basement or internal space within their own building upon receiving an alert.

Given this, the audit office stressed that public instructions must be clear and harmonised to ensure that people know how to respond in an emergency and raised the question as to whether the shelter registry used by the call centre matches that used for the app.

Overall, the SafeCY testing highlighted questionable reliability of information, inconsistencies between images and actual locations, unclear signage, lack of capacity data and difficulties in assessing adequacy.

Notably, none of the 30 shelters examined included postcodes in their listed addresses, and irrelevant or misleading signage was also recorded at several locations.

The absence of built-in navigation means users must manually input addresses into other apps, increasing the risk of delays or misdirection – particularly as postcodes are not included, potentially leading to confusion between similar addresses.

The findings, the audit office said, point to broader issues, including the need to update and ensure the reliability of shelter data, inconsistencies between recorded information and on-site reality, lack of basic identification details and insufficient public awareness.

As a result, the audit office concluded that concerns arise regarding the level of preparedness for protecting the civilian population in the event of an emergency.

Responding to the audit office’s findings, the interior ministry said it has already moved to overhaul the shelter system, acknowledging longstanding weaknesses and the need for modernisation.

In a statement, the ministry said it had recognised the limitations of the previous approach, which until 2023 relied on shelters located in basements of private residences.

“Following instructions from the interior minister, a new approach was adopted focusing on the creation of shelters in large-capacity public spaces, such as underground public parking areas, basements of supermarkets, hotels and churches,” the ministry said.

It added that although this method results in a lower absolute number of shelters, overall population coverage is expected to increase.

The ministry also pointed to a lack of public awareness about shelters as a key issue, noting that this led to the development of the SafeCY application in 2024.

While acknowledging that the app requires improvements – an issue highlighted by recent events – the ministry said significant corrections have already been made in cooperation with the innovation deputy ministry and the ‘Kios’ research centre.

At the same time, the ministry said the audit office’s findings “confirm the ministry’s own assessments” and reinforce the need for reorganisation and modernisation of the shelter programme.

Efforts in this direction began in 2023 as part of a broader attempt to gradually improve the civil protection framework.

“The aim is, as soon as possible, through the implementation of actions, to strengthen our level of response,” the ministry said.