The Municipal Emergency and Civil Protection Center of Portimão has just completed five years of existence, at a time when «its importance is being amplified in the wake of Covid-19, through an effective and comprehensive strategy to fight the pandemic» , stresses the Portimonense Chamber in a press release.
Since its inauguration, on April 17, 2015, the Municipal Civil Protection Center of Portimão has received 56 alerts, including natural, technological and mixed risks, in addition to actions to protect and assist people and goods and various other operations, reacting , with operational measures of anticipation, to the alert states of the integrated system of protection and rescue operations.
During this period, it managed seven natural phenomena, 629 fires in urban areas, 1113 road accidents, 124 technological and industrial accidents, 1364 rural or debris fires, 693 situations of compromised safety, 35 556 health assistance, 1185 interventions in legal conflicts, 6066 prevention devices, in addition to 7352 other civil protection and relief operations.
But since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, its importance has become even more evident. In such a way that the Centre, which is operated by the Municipality of Portimão, with the support of the Humanitarian Association of Firefighters, in addition to its own command and control structure, also now houses the public health unit of the Barlavento Health Centers Group , following the needs created by the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in the county.
In fact, since 8 March (the day before the confirmation of the first official case of Covid-19 in Portimão and in the Algarve) that is where the municipal command post operates, constantly monitoring the situation in the county, anticipating containment and control measures .
«The advanced videoconference systems allow an uninterrupted connection with the different liaison officers of Civil Protection agents and cooperating entities, which contribute to the municipal strategy to combat Covid-19 in the municipality», with an emphasis on the Municipal Operational Coordination Center (CCOM), which includes the Maritime Authority, Fire Department, Red Cross, GNR, PSP, Judiciary Police, SEF and SMPC – Municipal Civil Protection Service.
In direct coordination with the Parish Councils, Hospital de Portimão, private hospitals, Health Center, Social Security, EMARP and all organic units of local authorities with special emphasis on social action and public information services, the Municipal Civil Protection Commission and the Municipal Civil Protection Authority «are duly informed of the situation at all times, acting accordingly», guarantees the autarchy.
“The paradigm shift in civil protection in Portimão took place on May 1, 2014, when the current functional framework of the municipal structure was strategically assumed by the Mayor, as Municipal Civil Protection Authority”, continues the press release.
A Municipal Operational Commander was appointed (currently designated, by legislative amendment, Municipal Coordinator of Civil Protection), «a new operating concept was also designed, which results from a partnership between the Municipality of Portimão and the Humanitarian Association of Voluntary Firefighters of Portimão».
The process culminated in the creation of an integrative Center, which brings together the areas of planning, logistics, awareness and public information under the responsibility of the SMPC and which joins those responsible for commanding the relief operations, in this case the Fire Department, assuming these, through a cooperation protocol, the entire operational component of municipal civil protection, maximizing existing means and resources.
The result of this partnership was the innovative and pioneering Municipal Center dedicated to the strategic area of Civil Protection and relief, which includes technicians and assistants from the local authority and operators of the Fire Department of Portimão, integrating four technical offices: one for emergency planning, the other for civil protection resources, another for public awareness and information, and the Forestry Technical Office, which oversees the work to defend the forest against fire and the team of forest sappers.
There is also the Municipal Logistic Support Base installed in the Fire Department, in an area recently expanded for the purpose.
A risk assessment and monitoring cell was recently installed, which, from the recent Municipal Room for Operations and Emergency Management (SALMOGE), whose inauguration was scheduled for this month, manages the warning and alert systems at the municipal level.
SALMOGE ensures technological evolution and adds operational capacity in the service, dispatch and control of means and resources that can be mobilized for civil protection and rescue operations.
With regard to the Integrated Medical Emergency System (SIEM), through a concerted initiative between the Municipality and INEM, the dispatch of means began to be coordinated by SALMOGE in close coordination with the Guidance Center for Urgent Patients (CODU ) of INEM, which allows, in requests that are sent by that institute, a local approach to georeferencing the locations, contributing to the dispatch of the means according to availability and proximity, with a clear knowledge of the location of the means and their availability at every moment, reducing mobilization time.
With regard to the municipal warning and alert mechanisms, the highlight is the warning system to the population about the risk of tsunami and the “Safe Villages” and “Safe People” programs, controlled by SALMOGE, which complement a system of notifications by SMS.
The Municipality of Portimão annually invests more than one million euros in this strategic area, including support for the Fire Brigade, the Portuguese Red Cross and the National Scout Corps, and the maintenance of an ambitious re-equipment plan, which has proven to be adequate to the territorial reality and to the risks identified in the Municipal Civil Protection Emergency Plan.
The annual Civil Protection plan of Portimão encompasses 25 activities, spread over six strategic vectors (planning, monitoring and risk assessment, logistics, public awareness and information, operations and special projects), materialized in more than 400 actions. Highlight for the creation of the Protection Line 24, which has already been in operation for four years and allows citizens to report risky situations, as well as be advised on self-protection measures at all times. It is a public service that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through the number 808 282 112.
The Center is equipped with the most recent emergency communications solutions and information systems, with redundant mechanisms supported by the satellite network, which gives it the capacity to meet the needs of people from Portimão in the most exceptional situations, particularly in serious accidents or catastrophes.
It is also this Center that controls the External Automatic Defibrillator (AED) booths spread across the three parishes of the county, ensuring the full functioning of this municipal program aimed at citizens suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest.
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