Monchique wants to have a Civil Protection and Resource Center up and running by next summer

The municipality of Monchique wants to have a Resource and Civil Protection Center up and running by next summer. After a positive year in terms of fire fighting in the municipality, for 2012, Rui André wants to have even better conditions to ensure that the green that predominates in the Serra de Monchique is maintained.

According to the mayor, who spoke with the Sul Informação, the application to the QREN has already been made, the project is also already completed and «if all goes well» the new equipment will already be in operation in the next “fire season”.

In addition to an Air Resources Centre, with a "more modern" heliport, capable of receiving taxi flights from companies in the tourism sector, a building will be built in the same place to house GNR's GIPS.

The creation of a new accommodation for the GIPS will allow, according to Rui André, “to release the [old hotel] Mons Cicus – which belongs to the City Council and is being used for this purpose – to be sold, which could lead to a good financial income».

The mayor of Monchique also added to the Sul Informação that “talks are being held with the Fire Brigade School to install a training center in that location”.

Who also has a say in the construction of the new Civil Protection and Resource Center is the Air Force, which may come to replace the extinct EMA (Empresa de Meios Aereos) in fighting forest fires as of 2012.

«In addition to monitoring the District Civil Protection, the project is being developed with the support of Air Force technicians, because if the adaptation of Puma helicopters for firefighting is carried out, we must be able to receive these air resources. In addition, I want Monchique to become an important strategic point for the Air Force, which already has the Fóia radar station and a neighborhood where 20 soldiers live on a permanent basis throughout the year,” explained Rui André.

The Monchique mayor also added to the Sul Informação that the exit of the helipad from the center of the village will allow the construction of a bus station in the same place.