Interior Minister José Luis Carneiro confirmed on Monday in Arganil that the government will invest 250 million euros in 2023 to prevent and fight fires, including supporting fire departments.
Speaking to reporters, José Luis Carneiro reminded that “all climate and weather forecasts point to an even more difficult 2023 and 2024” in which there should be “increasingly strong fires.”
“We can’t wait for April, May or June,” he warned, explaining that the government investments planned for next year in this area are part of a “national effort” undertaken by chief executive António Costa.
Therefore, it is important, according to the Minister of the Interior, “to work on prevention in advance.”
“There is more than 250 million euros that well illustrate this government’s support for firefighters and the priority given to the prevention and control of rural fires,” echoed José Luis Carneiro of Paços do Concelho de Arganil, in the Coimbra region, where he was received by Chamber President Luis Paulo Costa .
He said that 52.7 million euros were provided for the Special Device for Rural Fire Fighting (DECIR).
“The Portuguese government will continue in 2023 to follow the path of strengthening the means of civil protection. We will go from 29.7 million euros of permanent funding for fire brigades to 31.7 million euros, which means an increase of 6.7% compared to 2022.” , the minister stressed.
During a visit to this mountainous inland municipality, he stressed that there will be “a cumulative increase of 21.2%” between 2018 and 2023 so far.
“In accordance with the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), 81 more rural fire engines will be acquired: 59 forest fire engines and 22 forest tactical tanks,” he said.
Also through PRR, “six million euros will be used (…) to purchase personal protective equipment and one million euros to train 3,300 civil protection agents through the National School of Firefighters (ENB)”.
“3% of the ongoing funding for the humanitarian associations of firefighters will be transferred to the Firefighters Social Fund. The Portugal Firefighters League will receive public funding of more than half a million euros,” said the Minister of the Interior, indicating that support for the ENB in the amount of three million euros “will be carried out by the National Office for Emergencies and Civil Protection (ANEPC)”, whose president, Brigadier General Duarte Costa, was present.
According to José Luis Carneiro, “the €70 million allocated to the Portuguese Air Force for the operation of air resources must also be taken into account,” plus the €78.6 million allocated to GNR under the National Rural Management Plan. Fires.
Mayor Luis Paulo Costa asked the Minister to decentralize powers to municipalities, in particular, such as Arganil, which are part of areas with low demographic density.
In his opinion, the government should promote “learning processes so that these territories can receive” new competencies.
José Luis Carneiro then visited the work of the Municipal Civil Protection Center of Arganil, an investment of 300 thousand euros using European funds, as well as the fire protection system in Travessas, developed by a team from the University of Coimbra led by Professor Domingos Xavier. Viegas.
The project is based on a line of sprinklers that can be activated in the event of a fire that threatens the community.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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