Month: February 2018

ANPC NOTICE TO THE POPULATION – PRECIPITATION, SNOWFALL, WIND and HIGH SEAS

1. SITUATION

Following the contact with the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) carried out by the National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC), and according to the meteorological information made available, for the coming days, persistent meteorological conditions with strong atmospheric instability will affect the entire mainland territory, namely:

• PRECIPITATION, strong and localized rainfall (> 10 mm / h), will persist over the next few days, intensifying from the end of today (Tuesday) throughout the territory, although more significantly in the regions of the North coast and Center and maybe associated with thunderstorm and hail;
• SNOW FALL, above 400/600 m, will be more significant during the night in the northern and central interior regions, with the level gradually increasing to 28 FEB to 1000/1200 m;
• WIND will be more intense from this afternoon (27 FEB) from the southern quadrant, and will be moderate to strong on the coast and in the highlands with gusts up to 90 km / h. Between 28FEB and 02MAR this is expected to increase with gusts up to 100 km / h in the highlands and 80 km / h in the rest of the territory. Higher localized gusts could occour.
• HIGH SEAS is expected from south-west at 5-7 metres, with maximum in the order of 10/12 metres (with strong surf on the coast) essentially south of Cabo Raso, starting on Monday (28 FEB).

Follow the weather forecasts on www.ipma.pt

 

2. EXPECTABLE EFFECTS

In view of the situation described above, the following effects may occur:

• Slippery road surface and possible formation of water and ice patches;
• Possibility of rapid flooding in urban areas due to accumulation of rainwater or insufficient drainage systems;
• Possibility of flooding by transhipment of water lines in the most vulnerable areas;
• Flooding of underground urban structures due to poor drainage conditions;
• Damage to mounted or suspended structures;
• Drainage problems in urban systems, especially during periods of high tide, and may cause flooding in the most vulnerable places;
• Fallen branches or trees due to strong winds
• Accidents on the coast;
• Instability of slopes due to soil saturation and loss of soil consistency.

 

3. PREVENTIVE MEASURES

The ANPC advises that the impact of these effects can be minimized by taking appropriate steps, and therefore recommends the observation and wide dissemination of the main self-protection measures to address these situations, namely:

• Ensure that rainwater drainage systems are cleared and that there are no items and other objects that can be dragged or obstruct the free flow of water;
• Take care when driving, reducing the speed and taking special care with the possible accumulation of snow and the formation of water patches on roads;
• Avoid crossing flooded areas in order to prevent people or vehicles from falling into holes in the pavement or open sewers;
• Place the snow chains on the vehicles, whenever they move in areas affected by snowfall;
• Ensure loose structures, namely scaffolding, placards and other suspended structures are properly secured;
• Take special care when passing or staying in or near forested areas, being attentive to the fall of branches and trees due to strong winds;
• Take special care in the circulation along the coastline and riverside areas most vulnerable to coastal gullies, avoiding, if possible, passing or staying in these places;
• Avoid carrying our sea activities such as: sport fishing, water sports and walks by the sea, avoiding the parking of vehicles very close to the seafront;

 

KEEP up to weather information and Civil Protection and Security Forces indications

We are all well aware that the greatest threat to internal security that the country faces is the one associated with the risks of fire caused by climate change,” said Prime Minister António Costa on the first day of formation of 600 new GNR military personnel, in the training centre of Portalegre.

“This new course, which we are launching 26^th February 2018, involves a reinforcement of 600 personnel for the GNR with 500 more guard soldiers  joining the Intervention, Protection and Relief Group (GIPPS) and another 100 guard soldiers  joining the Protection of Nature and Environment Service, SEPNA “he said.

The GIPS courses will be held in March and April, and the SEPNA courses will be completed before the start of the critical period of forest fires.

Upon completion this will allow GIPS to expand their operations from 11 districts to all districts on the mainland.

The reinforcement of fire prevention and fire-fighting is also done by the creation of new teams of permanent firefighting personnel in the voluntary fire brigades, so that, within volunteering, there is a nucleus of professionals trained.

There will also be 500 new forest sappers, who throughout the winter and fall will clean up the forest and then proceed during the summer carrying out surveillance, as well as first intervention,” he added.

António Costa announced that he will open a competition for 200 new forest rangers during April, and that there is a reinforcement of commitment by the Armed Forces in situations of great calamity.

António Costa also said that the role of the GNR in supervising the cleaning of forests is not to tax the owners, but to ensure that the cleaning obligations of the forests are fulfilled.

“An untreated forest is a risk to the lives of all, and therefore what is at stake here is not to collect fines, not to prosecute people, but is to ensure that everyone fulfills their obligations,” he said, adding that “what is at stake is if we all contribute to the safety of all”.

Between 5^th – 11^th February the GNR SEPNA unit from the  Territorial Command of Viseu, in Lordosa, in the municipality of Viseu, identified five men and one woman, aged between 40 and 69, for the crime of forest fires. These resulted from burning debris which became out of control.

In the same period, in the parish of Bodiosa, two men were identified for being burned for renovation of the pasture, without having the necessary license. Such Burning is permitted only outside the critical period, and provided the fire risk index is below the high level, with licensing being compulsory in the respective town hall or by the parish council. If it is granted it should be in the presence of an accredited technician to control the burning or, in his / her absence, a team of firefighters or forestry team.

The four forest fire suspects will be heard at the Viseu District Court on February 14.

On 12^th February the Territorial Command of Aveiro, through the Territorial Office of Canedo, yesterday, arrested two men, aged between 34 and 43 years, for robbing the 85-year-old woman in Santa Maria da Feira.

The robbery took place in the victim’s home, with the two suspects entering their residence, forcing her to reveal where she kept the money, through assaulting her in the face. As a result they stole 150 euros in cash and a mobile phone, and then fled.

After obtaining the information of the occurrence of the robbery, the GNR carried out a police operation in order to locate the suspects. After a few minutes, the suspects were detected inside a commercial establishment in the immediate vicinity of the victim’s residence The uspects were in possession of the stolen goods and were immediately detained.

The detainees will be present at the Judicial Court of Santa Maria da Feira, on 14^th February.

According to this report on the Bombeiros website (www.bombeiros.pt), quoting the President of the Portuguese Fireman’s League (LPB) Marta Soares,  firefighters are preparing to boycott the next National Forest Protection Authority’s (ANPC) Special Fire-Fighting Mechanism if the government does not guarantee adequate responses to its demands by the end of February.

“Firefighters will not participate in firefighting reinforcement groups (GRIF and GRUATA and ELAC) nor will captains integrate district structures if the Government does not comply with our proposals,” said Jaime Marta Soares, President of the PFL, at its Extraordinary National Council, meeting held this Saturday in Palmela.

Among the proposals is the creation of 250 Permanent Intervention Teams (EIP) in all fire brigades, in a total of 1,250 elements, with priority in the municipalities with the highest risk index, a number that the Government lowered to 40, “far behind of the real needs, “said Jaime Marta Soares. Also the payment of 50 euros per day for the elements that integrate the device will have to be accepted by the Government, which defined the increase of the current 46 euros for the 48.

“The government is not respecting firefighters, it is taking harmful actions to the people and will keep the boy in their hands,” added the president of the LPB.

The Extraordinary National Council also served to assess the contacts made with the Government in the last two months. “With every discussion we were having we left with one empty hand and another full of nothing,” said Jaime Marta Soares. “The working groups are constituted but drag on for months and the greatest seriousness will be when we reach the critical period,” he warned.

At the start of the meeting, the Porto and Viseu Firefighters Federations had internally approved not to integrate all of the next Special Firefighting Mechanism (DECIF), which led to a decision among all 20 federations. “Until the 28th we will see what happens and from there, all the federations are free to do whatever they want.”

Of the “many hundreds” of earth tremors, only 28 were felt by the population of the central zone of the island of São Miguel

The seismic situation that is affecting the area since Sunday in the central zone of the island of São Miguel, in the Azores, between the Serra de Água de Pau and Lagoa do Congro, “should last a few days, but it is expected that its intensity will decrease in the next hours and over the next few days”, according to Miguel Miranda, President of the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA)” He stressed that “The fact that this seismic crisis occurs in a very limited area of ​​the island “points in this direction”..

Yesterday afternoon, the CIVISA, the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of the University of the Azores, which constantly monitors the monitoring of the geological risks in the Azores, already had “a slight decrease in seismic activity”, as indicated to DN Teresa Ferreira, a research. The situation will continue, however, to be monitored and both experts warn that the population should remain alert to the indications of the regional civil protection service. This, as well as the regional government, who are monitoring the situation at all times (see text on the side).

Seismic activity has intensified in the central part of the island of São Miguel by 23.47 on Sunday (local time) and since then “many hundreds of micro-species have already been recorded” in the area – their final accounts were still at the end of the day, to be completed by CIVISA researchers.

“Only 28 of these earthquakes were felt by the resident population between Água de Pau and Povoação, on the south coast, and between Rabo de Peixe and Fenais da Ajuda, on the north coast,” said Teresa Ferreira. “The most intense of all recorded earthquakes hit 3.1 on the Richter scale and occurred at 06.18 [yesterday], and the last one that was felt still occurred in the morning at 11.25,” the researcher said.

 

Three persons arrested for drug trafficking

The Regional command of the public security police of Madeira reported on 7^th January 2018 communiqué that, following an operation developed in the context of combating drug trafficking, they detained three individuals (two men and one woman, resident in the autonomous region of Madeira) suspected of drug trafficking.

In the context of this operation, developed in the câmara de Câmara de Lobos by the PSP criminal investigation unit, they seized from the suspects now detained, a significant amount of drugs, particularly heroin, sufficient to produce about 800 individual daily doses and also Over 3.000 (three thousand) euros in cash.

 

Today 6^th February 2018, marks Safer Internet Day (SID).  The 2018 theme, “Create, connect and share respect: A better internet starts with you” is a call to action for everyone to play our part in creating a better internet for everyone, in particular the youngest users out there. More than that, it is an invitation for everyone to join in and engage with others in order to ensure a better digital experience.

In particular it is an opportunity to sit with your children to ensure that they remain safe on the internet and social media.

About 100 awareness-raising sessions are planned to be held in schools and in municipalities by the Portuguese ICT Competence Centres.

An online session will be held by Digital Leaders (representing over 700 Digital Leaders and 70 teachers).

An event reaching more than 100 teachers will be held on the Madeira Island.

SeguraNet will take part in the new edition of National Defence Day, where 900 awareness-raising sessions will be held, involving 130,000 young people aged 18 years old.

Please see more details

This year, a seminar is being held in the North of Portugal, in Braga. The seminar was divided into a morning session for media, political stakeholders, teachers, parents, careers, and other potential stakeholders.

It was chosen to present current themes for the Portuguese society, ranging from gaming to dating apps, the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and subsequent impact on the processing of personal data. There was a ceremony to celebrate 10 years of the project, where all the consortium organisations will be represented. The afternoon session targeted younger audiences and will feature different moments:

A roundtable discussion with speakers, from YouTubers to No Hate Speech Movement (NHSM) activists, to which the audience will put questions, previously worked out in the classroom with the teachers.

Delivering the prize of the SID photo competition.

Presentation of this year’s theatre play, “ID2.0”.

Online and videogame addictions, online consumer protection, sexting, revenge porn and romance scams, GDPR and big data, Internet of Toys – impacts on family households, research on internet usage by children, impact on young people, the internet as a tool for self-promotion, the power of games for cognitive development, developing your own content on social media with style and a critical overview on developing your own digital content

1. SITUATION

Meteorological situation:

Following the contact with the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), held today (5th February 2015) at the National Civil Protection Authority (CNPC), and according to today’s updated meteorological information, for the next 3 days: it is forecast:

• Decrease of the minimum temperature, with to ​​between -4 ° C and 2 ° C in the northern and central interior regions and between 0 and 4 ° C in the southern, northern and central coastal regions.
• Wind blowing strong from the north quadrant, on the coast and in the highlands, with gusts up to 70 km / h.
• Formation of ice or frost in the northern and central regions.

Follow the weather forecasts on www.ipma.pt

2. EXPECTABLE EFFECTS

In view of the situation described above, please be aware of the following:

• Poisoning by gas inhalation due to inadequate ventilation of homes using fireplaces and braziers;
• Fires in dwellings as a result of improper use of fireplaces and braziers or of electric faults;
• Ice formation on road sections with causing slippery surfaces;

3. PREVENTIVE MEASURES

The ANPC reminds people that the possible impact of these effects can be minimized through the adoption of self-protection measures and appropriate behaviour such as the following:

• Avoid prolonged exposure to cold and sudden changes in temperature;
• Wear several layers of clothing, loose and adapted to room temperature;
• Protect the extremities of the body with a cap, scarf, gloves and warm socks;
• Drinking soup and hot drinks and avoiding alcohol consumption;
• Wear suitable clothing on the part of workers engaged in outdoor activities and avoid excessive exertion during the tasks they perform;
• Pay special attention to combustion heaters (braziers and fireplaces) which can cause intoxication and lead to death due to the accumulation of carbon monoxide;
• Ensure adequate ventilation of dwellings;
• Avoid using heating devices before bed, taking care to disconnect them before bedtime;
• Adopt defensive driving and pay special attention to ice-prone road locations;
• Assist family members and neighbours who may need help and support, including older people in conditions of greater isolation;
• Pay particular attention to the most vulnerable groups of the population, such as children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases, as well as the homeless;
• Be aware of meteorological information and the advice and recommendations of Civil Protection and Security Forces.

Get to know the recommendations of the Directorate General of Health on the care to be taken during the cold and dry weather (www.dgs.pt)

Some metro stations will be open in both cities and hot blankets and drinks will be distributed on the street.

The Câmara de Porto assesses on Monday the possibility of immediately triggering the contingency plan for the homeless due to the cold. Among possible measures are the provision of hot drinks and the opening of metro stations at night.

In Lisbon, the Câmara de Lisboa’s contingency plan to protect the homeless from the cold will be activated on Monday at 1900 hrs, also foreseeing the opening of support sites and the distribution of food and clothing, the municipality of Lisbon announced on Sunday.

In response to Lusa, the communication office of the Municipality of Porto guarantees that “Civil Protection, fire brigades and Social Action will be in permanent evaluation of the conditions and will take action as soon as possible, the contingency plan for the homeless”.

The plan will be activated tomorrow [Monday], but it will be reassessed in the morning,” he added. In the event of extreme cold, “the former Joaquim Urbano Hospital, currently operating as a reception center, is prepared to receive the homeless, provide primary health care and provide food and hot drinks.”

In Porto, the forecasts of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) available on the site point to low temperatures during the next week, with a minimum temperature of 2ºC on Monday, 1ºC on Tuesday and 0ºC on Thursday. The maximum temperature should not exceed 12ºC throughout the week.

Starting at 7:00 pm on Monday, the Câmara de Lisboa will open the Manuel Castelbranco Municipal Pavilion, in the Sapadores zone, a parish of São Vicente, providing hygiene, food and clothing for the homeless. In recent years, this structure of the contingency plan used to be set up in the Casal Vistoso Municipal Pavilion.

In addition to this support, the city’s street teams will distribute hot food and warm clothing to street sleepers. Also some stations of the Lisbon Metro will be open during the night to welcome this population, but will only be announced on Monday, when the municipality disclose “the logistical measures inherent to the plan,” said the same autarchic source.

According to the IPMA forecasts available on its website, the minimum temperatures will be around 5ºC on Monday, dropping to 4º C on Tuesday and 3º C on Wednesday and Thursday for Lisbon. Source Publico.