Algarve and Alentejo Fire Departments receive 17 of the new 81 forest vehicles

Recovery and Resilience Plan pays for new vehicles

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The fire brigades of Alentejo and Algarve will receive 17 of the new 81 forest vehicles that “will allow for a reinforcement of the operational response capacity in the fight against rural fires”, announced the Ministry of Internal Administration.

Thus, four Forest Fire Fighting Vehicles (VFCI) will come to the Algarve, while 13 VCFIs and five Forest Tactical Tank Vehicles (VTTF) will be delivered to Alentejo.

The MAI announced that “it was possible to include in the Recovery and Resilience Plan, within the scope of the MAIS Floresta Program, a sum of 12,6 million euros intended for the acquisition of forest vehicles to be operated by the Fire Departments”.

In this way, “the capacity of the operational response of civil protection agents will be increased, through the distribution, via a lending contract to be signed with the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), of vehicles to Fire Departments located in the territories where there is a greater lack of Forest Fire Fighting Vehicles (VFCI) and Forest Tactical Tank Vehicles (VTTF) in relation to the respective forest area».

It is estimated that this amount will allow for the acquisition of 81 forest vehicles – 59 VFCI and 22 VTTF – which, according to the Ministry, “represents the largest distribution of vehicles for responding to rural fires since 1980”.

The criteria for the selection of the Fire Departments, proposed by the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority and previously presented to the National Association of Municipalities and the Portuguese Fire Brigade, were approved by the Minister of Internal Administration and validated by the Mission Structure Recover Portugal.

The criteria adopted for the distribution of these vehicles are «objective, measurable and verifiable, guaranteeing that the vehicles are allocated to Fire Departments with real capacity to operate them and guaranteeing their distribution in the territories where, given the forest area in their charge, it is verified a more significant shortage of forest vehicles'.

The final vehicle distribution list, already communicated to the National Association of Municipalities, the Portuguese Fire Brigade, the Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Commands, the District Relief Operations Commands and the Fire Departments, includes:

• 14 VFCI and 12 VTTF for the Fire Departments of the North Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command (CREPC) area;

• 22 VFCI and 3 VTTF for the Fire Departments in the CREPC area of ​​the Center;

• 6 VFCI and 2 VTTF for the Fire Departments in the CREPC area of ​​Lisbon and Vale do Tejo;

• 13 VFCI and 5 VTTF for the Fire Departments in the CREPC area of ​​Alentejo;

• 4 VFCI for the Fire Departments in the CREPC area of ​​the Algarve.

 



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