There are "5 to 5500 professional firefighters" in corporations across the country and there are teams that cannot operate due to lack of elements. The warning was made this Sunday by the president of the National Association of Professional Firefighters (ANBP) Fernando Curto, on the sidelines of the 13th National Congress of Professional Firefighters, which took place in Faro.
A worrying situation, even more, in the view of the ANBP president, than that of forest fires. At a time when the country is preparing for the so-called fire season, Fernando Curto warns of what happens throughout the year.
“We are all ecologists and so am I. But, in all honesty and coldness, I'm more concerned about elderly homes, schools or shopping centers, than the issue of forest fires itself», he considered.
“Forest fires have a much greater scope and visibility and there is much more talk. There is a device that mr. Minister prepares, and very well. But then, the Chambers, downstream, have a whole yearly work to do in their municipalities to safeguard infrastructure and populations», he illustrated. "We are talking about public areas, the largest cities in the country, two thirds of the population and the country's heritage," he stressed.
The minister of internal administration Miguel Macedo, who presided over the closing of the ANBP Congress, recalled that 50 teams of professional firefighters are being created, which will have a total of 250 elements, to reinforce the fire-fighting device during the summer. This measure does not compensate for the flaws that exist in the structure of professional firefighters, considers Fernando Curto.
Lack of firefighters affects operability
«There are between 5 and 5500 firefighters missing. But we are not asking for more firefighters to enter. We are talking about what is lacking in the structure, which is the organic framework. We would be very happy if those who left were compensated», said the ANBP president.
This situation calls into question, in some situations, the operation of corporations. «The work of firefighters is done as a team. Each vehicle takes five or six elements. Not having them, it goes with two elements. I always do a worse job, if I don't have the complete trim in a vehicle», he exemplified.
One aspect where the lack of elements is most noticeable, according to Fernando Curto, is that of hazardous materials. «The Dangerous Matters Intervention Team, barring errors, has 20 elements. We have professional fire brigades that cannot act in cases of hazardous materials, because they do not have the team», he added.
Bearing this in mind, Fernando Curto calls for the “quickly launching of competitions for the admission of new professional firefighters”.
Recalling the financial difficulties that the country is facing, Miguel Macedo considered that the solution could involve the inter-municipal dimension and the creation of joint responses. This will be "the ideal time to make this reflection", said the member of Government.
The creation of inter-municipal Civil Protection devices, with shared human and material resources, could save the Chambers money, while “increasing the capacity to respond”.
For Fernando Curto, this “may be a solution”, but he emphasizes that it does not bypass the financial issue. “It was like the mayor of Olhão António Pina said. Being municipal or intermunicipal, if there are no funds, the problem remains», he considered.
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