The Monchique Volunteer Firefighters Humanitarian Association celebrated 82 years of existence on August 3, which was celebrated with the delivery of personal protective equipment to the corporation's firefighters. A concern also emerged from the party: the lack of ambulances; and a guarantee: the Monchique Chamber will try to solve the problem in January 2016.
The first equipment delivery event of the day took place at Intermarché de Monchique and resulted from a campaign that took place between May 14 and June 14, 2015 at Intermarché, Bricomarché and Roady stores across the country. It was a joint initiative of the "Os Mosqueteiros" Group and the Portuguese Firefighters League, with a view to raising individual complete equipment for fighting forest fires entitled "Together we will equip our heroes".
The uniforms, consisting of forest boots, gloves, a breech, a forest protective suit (pants and a jacket), a helmet and a sweatshirt, were distributed to 100 firefighters in the country through a raffle, which awarded five of these pieces of equipment to the BVM. Philippe Bourroux, owner and manager of Intermarché de Monchique thanked “all the customers for their help” in an “action that is entirely deserved”.
During the solemn session, at the BVM headquarters, 23 personal protective equipment was handed out to fight fires in natural spaces resulting from the campaign «Barlagás and Gás Repsol together for a cause – Let's contribute with a donation to the Monchique Volunteer Firefighters» and also those acquired through the application made by the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve (AMAL) to QREN.
Espiral de Vontades – Association of Social Solidarity, represented by Luísa Martins, delivered 74 pants, 50 dolmens, 77 t-shirts and four pairs of boots, material obtained through the «caps collection» campaign.
In addition, 30 individual protection equipment was offered to fight urban and industrial fires by the Humanitarian Association of Voluntary Firefighters of Portimão and 64 coats, 105 pairs of pants, 40 helmets, 32 pairs of boots and 333 pairs of gloves by Davide Costa to combat fires. same type of fire.
Finally, a solidarity dinner, organized by Luciara Paiva, raised enough money to buy 23 coats.
José Gonçalo Silva, president of AHBVM, assumes that "there was recognition by civil society for the work of firefighters" and admits that it has "a good operational situation with some logistical difficulties and that the protection of individuals is reasonably assured", however , warns that the corporation “needs committed people, with high personal competence” but that “with patience and good will, everything will be overcome”.
Firefighters are equipped, but… they need ambulances
The delivery of this equipment is, for Rui Lopes, 2nd commander of the BVM, "clear proof that the individual and collective people of Monchique recognize the role of firefighters." However, Rui Lopes considers it necessary to "increase the number of personnel and the ambulance fleet". The concern is also shared by José Gonçalo Silva since «the newest transport ambulance has 500 thousand kilometers».
Rui André, Mayor of Monchique, assumed that the municipality does not have the «capacity to buy an ambulance until the end of the year», but launched «the challenge so that, in the next three months, we can prepare the acquisition of this ambulance so that soon in the 1st month of 2016 is delivered».
The mayor assumed this commitment, but called on the population to "collect for another ambulance".
Construction of the Civil Protection and Resource Center awaits new Community Framework
Rui André also announced at the ceremony that the Civil Protection and Resources Center «has already done a project and in the new Community Framework, we are going to build it». The new valence, which will increase the «capacity for more air and logistical means, has an expected investment of half a million euros.
In addition, the mayor revealed that an application will be made to the new community framework «to equip the regional Civil Protection services, given that we have a deficiency in trawling machines and equipment».
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