The Algarve is preparing to invest around 8,5 million euros in the expansion of the Loulé Heliport, in the creation of new air resources centers in Monchique and Tavira and in a unit for training firefighters.
The status of these four projects was made during a visit by a delegation led by Juan Manuel Moreno, president of the Junta de Andalusia, to the facilities of the Regional Command of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority and to the Helicopter Base in Permanent Service (BHSP). ), both in Loulé, which took place last Thursday.
The Andalusian government official came to the Algarve to renew with the Coordination and Regional Development Commissions (CCDR) of the Alentejo and Algarve the Euroregion protocol that unites the three southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula and took the opportunity to get to know these infrastructures, fundamental elements of the Algarve's response to fires and other disaster situations and serious accidents.
The work to expand the Permanent Service Helicopter Base (BHSP), the heliport located next to the Loulé Fire Brigade base, is, moreover, carried out using funds from the Interreg VA Spain – Portugal Cross-border Cooperation Program, within the scope of the project CILIFO – Iberian Center for Research and Fight against Forest Fires.
With an estimated cost of 2,9 million euros, this work, which should «start in the next few weeks», will make it possible to expand the operating capacity, permanently, to five helicopters (three more than the current capacity), as well as increase the ability to carry out helicopter maintenance operations and the space to house crews and teams, according to Vitor Vaz Pinto, Regional Commander of Emergency and Civil Protection (CREPC) of the Algarve, during the session.
It is estimated that this work will be completed in March 2023.
Also in the award phase are the construction works of two Air Resources and Civil Protection Centers in Monchique and Tavira (Tavira).
In the first case, the work is already out for tender and has a scheduled date for execution: 1 April 2023. The estimated cost of the intervention is 1,9 million euros.
In Tavira, the construction of the centre, whose tender should be «launched soon», should cost 2,5 million euros.
In both cases, the works include the “creation of a training center to train firefighters and reinforce logistical support”.
Monchique and Cachopo already host aerial means used to combat forest fires, in the phases of greatest risk.
Another work that was discussed at Thursday's session was that of the Local Training Unit of the National School of Firefighters, to be built in Azinhal, Castro Marim, an intervention of 1,2 million euros whose tender was launched on 17 January.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues | Sul Informação
Comments