The full-scale rescue exercise on the cliffs of Sagres (LIVEX), which took place last Sunday, February 12, had the participation of Civil Protection agents, support entities and respective means, involving a total of 130 people.
The objective of the exercise was to test the effectiveness of the Municipal Civil Protection Emergency Plan (PMEPC) and, at the same time, to evaluate the performance of the entities involved (Municipal Civil Protection Service of Vila do Bispo, fire brigades of several municipalities in the Algarve, Portuguese Maritime, National Republican Guard, Portuguese Environment Agency, National Civil Protection Authority and Portuguese Rescue School), as well as the means and equipment used.
The full-scale cliff rescue is an exercise at the level of coordination of command elements and cooperating entities, planned with the aim of testing and activating the Municipal Civil Protection Commission and the Municipal Operational Coordination Centre, issuing the Declaration of State of Alert in the municipality and activate the Municipal Civil Protection Emergency Plan of Vila do Bispo.
Testing the response of Civil Protection Agents and Entities that cooperate in this matter was another objective of its realization.
«The tests of the emergency plans, which can be carried out through exercises and simulations, make it possible to identify aspects to be improved in the performance and coordination of the various entities, identify new risks and create routines that allow for a more efficient intervention by the teams involved. The practice of exercises allows the sedimentation of knowledge and automatisms that will improve the response in situations of serious accident or catastrophe», recalls the Vila do Bispo Council.
In addition to the full-scale exercise, a colloquium was held on the 11th, where the international reality of rope rescue was discussed, the implications of erosion in wide-angle rescue (SGA), land-sea interface and the strategy of the regional command of emergency and civil protection in the Algarve for special rescues.
Throughout this action, the speakers shared, with the 160 participants in this colloquium, their experiences at national and international level and the means available for assistance in the land-sea interface reality.
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