What was an old House of Corners, closed and unused, in Vale Maria Dias, on Estrada Nacional (EN) 2, became the Loulé Advanced Civil Protection Unit. The space, inaugurated this Tuesday, 24th of May, has a «strategic location» and will help to «reinforce the defense against fires» in Serra do Caldeirão.
Along the EN2, there are several Casas dos Cantoneiros that we come across.
After having been used as housing for these workers, who were in charge of maintaining the roads, many of the spaces ended up, over the years, becoming unused.
In Vale Maria Dias, near Cortelha, it was no different. In 2017, the Loulé City Council decided to buy the building from Infraestruturas de Portugal to install the Advanced Civil Protection Unit, inaugurated yesterday, the 24th.
Ao Sul Informação, João Matos Lima, Commander of the Civil Protection of Loulé, explained that the building is equipped with “all communication capabilities, such as the SIRESP Network, fiber optics, landline telephone and cartography support”.
Added to this is the 'ability to set up a command post', if necessary in a major fire.
“We have a generator capable of powering the Unit, even in the event of a power cut, and a space where we can set up tents for the population if necessary,” he added.
The Unit will also logistical support for Civil Protection operations, it has a space dedicated to equipment maintenance and can host training in the field of forest fire protection.
Moreover, from the 15th of June until September, it is there that «a GNR cavalry detachment will be installed, with two elements, which will carry out forest patrols», revealed João Matos Lima to our newspaper.
This unit has a «central location, in the heart of Serra do Caldeirão», being located in the parish of Salir, which, this year, is part of the priority sites, defined by the Government, for defense against fires.
«It is where our eyes will be more attentive and where there will be greater care. Basically, with this, our defense against fires is reinforced», summarized the commander of the Civil Protection of Loulé.
This work cost around 500 thousand euros and, at the inauguration, was also praised by the mayor Vítor Aleixo.
For the mayor of Loulé, the municipality has “much to gain from this structure for preventing and fighting forest fires”.
“There needs to be local responses to this problem. Protecting life and nature are our obligations and, therefore, this is a day of great satisfaction”, he concluded.
Photos: Pedro Lemos | Sul Informação
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