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A Faro Airport campaign calling for an escape from the “Algarve confusion” is causing controversy. The Government has already asked for explanations from ANA Aeroportos, which has suspended, on Monday, the publications on social networks.

The phrase “Flee from the Algarve confusion and rest in France”, in Portuguese, English and Spanish, was the beacon of an advertising campaign for flights to Marseille, sparked a chorus of protests.

The President of the Algarve Tourism Region, João Fernandes, condemned the campaign, having contacted the airport management who “ordered the immediate cessation of this campaign and the clearance of responsibilities for its disclosure”.

The PS / Algarve president and deputy, José Graça, also called for “the immediate suspension of campaigns sponsored by Faro Airport, promoting external destinations as an alternative to the Algarve, having contacted the guardianship to express their displeasure”. Rep. Cristóvão Norte (PSD) called the campaign “foolish” and “disrespectful for the Algarve”.

In a statement, the Office of the Minister for Infrastructure and Housing reported that “the Government, as soon as it became aware of the situation [Faro Airport advertising campaign promoting the destination of Marseille], asked ANA for explanations and immediately called for action to remove a publication that is contrary to the interests of the country, the Portuguese and the national economy “. In the same note, it states that “ANA has already made inquiries about what happened and immediately withdrew the connection in question”.

After the chorus of criticism and outrage, the campaign, which was in effect for about a week, was eventually suspended. Contacted by JN, ANA Aeroportos has not commented on the controversy.

 

Calheta, Madeira, 29 July 2019 (Lusa) – A woman, about 50 years old, was murdered at night in her residence in the parish of Jardim do Mar, Calheta municipality, western Madeira, a source said. Volunteer Firefighters of the locality.

According to the corporation commander, the warning was given by the victim’s brother, shortly after 01:00 hrs, and the firefighters deployed an ambulance and two personnel to the site of Piedade.

“When we arrived, the person was already dead, there was nothing left to do,” he said, underlining that the police authorities were informed, and the Judicial Police and the Public Security Police were in place.

The crime was reported to have occurred in the context of domestic violence and was allegedly committed by the victim’s partner, and the manner in which it was committed is unknown.

 

Barreiro, Setúbal, 29 Jul 2019 (Lusa) – Home Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita said on Sunday night that the theme of the fires “should not be used for pre-election conflict nor for sterile controversy” and that there should be a union around Civil Protection.

“It is still too early for any balance, but I think more important than that is that all Portuguese know that this year so special [legislative elections] this [fires] is not a theme for pre-election conflict,” defended the ruler. .

Eduardo Cabrita’s remarks were made in Barreiro, during an intervention at the commemorative ceremony of the 125th anniversary of the South and Southeast Volunteer Firefighters Humanitarian Association, which was also attended by the president of the Portuguese Firefighters League, Jaime Marta Soares, and leaders of the structure of the National Civil Protection Authority.

The Minister, who declined to speak to journalists on the side lines of the ceremony, also praised in his speech the success of the “Safe Village Safe People” program, in which ‘fire kits’ were distributed, including the controversial smoke collars. .

“Also on Friday, the Mayor of Silves told me that, in a fire of particular risk, two teams from Aldeia Segura were called by the municipality to prevent what were the risks that were there. This is everyone’s effort. When we say Civil Protection, it’s all of us, he said.

Lisbon, 29 July 2019 (Lusa) – The technician Francisco Ferreira, assistant to the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, resigned today, after being reported to be involved in the selection of companies for the production of emergency kits for the Safe Villages program.

In a note sent to Lusa, the office of the Minister of Internal Affairs reports that “Specialist Francisco José da Costa Ferreira has requested the resignation of his office in the Office of the Secretary of State for Civil Protection”.

The request was accepted by the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, José Artur Neves, adds the same official note.

The Jornal de Notícias writes today that Francisco Ferreira, also president of the PS / Arouca council, recommended companies to purchase 70,000 flammable smoke collars, 15,000 emergency kits with combustible materials and leaflets delivered to 1909 villages. covered by the program.

On Saturday, Home Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita ordered an urgent inquiry into the hiring of fire awareness material following news reports on smoke-resistant collars with flammable material distributed under the “Safe Villages” program.

In a statement, the ministry stated that “in light of the news published on contractual aspects regarding awareness-raising material, the Minister of Internal Affairs asked the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority for clarification and called for an urgent inquiry into the General Inspectorate of Administration. Internal ”.

The Jornal de Notícias reported on Friday that 70,000 smoke-free collars made of flammable and uncarbonised treatment, which cost 125,000 euros, were handed over by civil protection under the “Safe Village” and “Safe People” programs.

Lisbon, Jul. 26, 2019 (Lusa) – Portugal’s PSP police force is to ensure the security of critical infrastructures and strategic sectors, such as petrol stations, hypermarkets, airports and power plants, during a strike of heavy goods drivers in August, the force told Lusa.

The security of critical infrastructures and national strategic sectors is one of the measures that the PSP will adopt in the scope of a hauliers’ strike from 12 August.

The PSP is to also provide security escorts to columns of heavy goods vehicles within the framework of minimum or alternative services or with the appropriate means, namely through the intervention corps.

The police said that there will be police officers qualified to drive heavy goods vehicles, and a PSP tanker vehicle (operational logistics vehicle) is to be used to support and reserve the fuel supply for the police vehicles and to support the community if needed.

The PSP will also ensure safety at picket lines and traffic management on the main roads under its area of responsibility.

The PSP will mobilise all its territorial command capabilities for this mission during the drivers’ strike.

The notice of strike of the Independent Union of Merchandise Drivers (SIMM), and the National Union of Dangerous Goods Drivers (SNMMP) proposes minimum services of 25% throughout the national territory.

However, these unions and the haulier association ANTRAM have not agreed on minimum services.

LISBON, July 28, 2019 (Lusa) – The Secretary of State for Civil Protection today handed over responsibility for the process of buying ‘fire kits’, including smoke collars, to the National Civil Protection Authority.

“The process was developed by Civil Protection,” José Artur Neves told television.

He also stressed that the smoke collar, “which some experts say is flammable”, is an element of awareness rather than protection.

“It is not an element to protect the citizen from fire, because the citizen is not intended to fight the fire. It is intended to convey to the citizen that he must be provided with a cloth, be it a nightgown or a wet towel so as not to breathe the smoke”, he specified.

The Jornal de Notícias reported on Friday that 70,000 smoke-free collars made of flammable and uncarbonised material, which cost 125,000 euros, were handed over by civil protection under the “Safe Village” and “Safe People” programs.

The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) clarified that the materials distributed under the programs are not for firefighting or for individual protection, but for raising awareness of good practices.

 

Since 15^th July the amount of burned area has increased from 10,178 hectares this year to 22,887 hectares (as at 26^th July)

According to ICNF in their latest report some 51% of the forest fires that have ignited from 1^st January to 15^th July and investigated came from the burning of piles of debris and extensive burnings according to the ICNF.

This year’s second ICNF Interim Rural Fire Report, indicates that as of that date, 70% of the total number of fires causing 89% of the total area burned have been investigated. .

Of these the investigation  a cause was found in 69% of incidents,  causing 77% of the area burned by July 15.

The same document highlights that the most frequent causes are burning of forest or agricultural surplus (25%) and arson – attributable (19%). Some 10% of fires were from re-ignitions.

The provisional report of rural fires does not include the fires of the last days, namely those that reached the municipalities of Vila de Rei and Mação.

This report indicates that between January 1 and July 15 there were 5,570 rural fires resulting in 10,178 hectares (ha) of burned area, including forest (4205 ha), bush (4068 ha) and agriculture (1905 ha)..

As at 27^th July,  55% of which concern the area burned in forest stands, 33% in bush land and 12% in agricultural land.

The ICNF report notes that up to July 15 this year there were 30% fewer rural fires and 53% less burned area than the annual average over the last ten years.

The ICNF indicates that the largest number of fires, up to July 15, occurred in the districts of Porto (895), Braga (474) and Lisboa (431).

In turn, the most affected district, with regard to the burned area, was Beja with 1,832 hectares, about 18% of the total area burned to date, followed by Braga with 1,260 hectares (12% of the total) and Vila Real. 1,120 hectares (11% of the total).

It has reported at 1320 hrs afternoon 27^th July that a man suffered a paragliding accident this afternoon in Porto da Cruz.

According to reports the paragliding parachute did not open and the victim eventually fell near a beach near Penha D’Águia.

Municipal firefighters of Machico were mobilized, but at this moment they have not yet managed to reach the victim.

The emergency response team were called out, but could not reach the man either, as he had fallen into an area that was ​​difficult to access.

However the newspaper confirmed shortly afterwards that a man of American nationality had passed away this afternoon.

They confirm that the parachute did not open. So far, there is no more information about this occurrence. Machico Municipal Firefighters mobilized a team of eight members to the scene.

Lisbon, 27 July 2019 (Lusa) – Home Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita today ordered an urgent inquiry into the hiring of fire-fighting material following news about smoke-resistant collars with flammable material distributed under the “Safe villages – Safe People Scheme”.

In a statement issued today, the Ministry of Internal Affairs says that, “in light of the published news about contractual aspects regarding awareness-raising material, the Minister of Internal Affairs requested clarification from the ANEPC and determined to open an inquiry.

The Jornal de Notícias reported on Friday that 70,000 smoke-free collars made of flammable and uncarbonised material, which cost 125,000 euros, were handed over by civil protection under the “Safe Village” and “Safe People” programs.

The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) then said that the materials distributed under the programs are not firefighting or personal protection, but awareness of good practice.

Asked by journalists in the Minister considered the news “irresponsible and alarmist” and underlined the importance of the program that is under way in more than 1,600 villages in the country, ensuring that the distribution of smoke-free collars does not undermine or neither the project nor the safety of the people.

Still in the statement released today, the Ministry of Internal Administration stated “It is reaffirmed that these materials are for information and sensitization on how the population should act in case of fire and evacuation and not firefighting”, says the ministry.

In the case of smoke collars, he explains that the objective is to “make the population aware of the importance of adopting a duct to protect exposed surfaces of the body (face and neck) and protect the respiratory tract in the event of a fire.”.

Among the materials produced are Implementation Support Guide, Evacuation Plan Signalling Kits and Self-Protection Kits to sensitize the population to preventive behaviours.

The programs, according to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs, are being carried out in more than 1,900 settlements, involving parish councils and town councils and more than 1,500 local security officers.

The following statement was issued today concerning news in the media that the Facemasks issued by the ANEPC to those in high risk areas, were infammable.

“NOTE TO SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

Clarification

Following the news published today by the Jornal de Notícias, entitled “Material delivered to villages to escape the fires is flammable”, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority clarifies:

The materials distributed under the “SAFE VILLAGE” and “SAFE PEOPLE” Programs are not fire- fighting materials or personal protective equipment.

The “Safe Village” and “Safe People” Programs derive from Council of Ministers Resolution 157-A / 2017 of 27 October is aimed to empower people to enhance the security of people and goods by the adoption of self-protection measures and simulations to the evacuation plans of the localities.

This is the first major national campaign aimed at self-protection of the population against the risk of rural fire and awareness of good practices to be adopted in this area.

To this end, as part of the national awareness-raising campaign for the prevention of risk behaviour and the adoption of self-protection measures, various awareness-raising materials were produced and distributed, including the Program Implementation Guide, the Multilingual Awareness Leaflets, the identification markings of evacuation itineraries and places of shelter or refuge and emergency kits.

It should be stressed that these materials do not assume the characteristics of personal protective equipment, much less fire-fighting. It is rather information and awareness-raising material on how populations should act in the event of a fire, increasing the resilience of the population to the risk of rural fire.

Bearing in mind the responsibility of all citizens in the prevention of rural fires, it is important to strengthen the involvement of the whole community in the implementation of the “SAFE VILLAGE” and “SAFE PEOPLE” programs which, while prevention and pedagogical mechanisms have been shown to be extremely relevant instruments. of rural fires. It is therefore important that everyone, without exception, continue to fight for its dissemination and implementation

 

ARTICLE IN THE OBSERVER

“Civil Protection distributed 70,000 flammable collars in risky villages. Supplier proposed fire resistant material, but ANPC found it expensive. He says collars are for “awareness” and won’t collect them

Civil Protection has distributed over 70,000 flammable face and neck smoke protection collars to populations that can be hazardous if used in a fire scenario. The turtlenecks – which were supposed to be a protective mask in a fire scenario – are 100% polyester and have been distributed since summer 2018 in various villages in risk zones under the Safe Village and People programs. Safe ”. The collar supplier himself told the Observer that he proposed that the masks be made of flame-resistant material , but the National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) declined  to be more expensive, and claimed that the collars were distributed in a logic of ” merchandising” and ” advertising “. The ANPC tells the Observer that the collars are for the purpose of “ sensitizing ” the program only.

There are now 70,000 collars distributed to populations in risk zones that not only do not protect – although they have been distributed as such by the authorities – but also increase the risk to those who wear them. If the popular wear these masks in an extreme setting, a spark may be enough to get your face burning in seconds.

ANPC, through an official source, justified to the Observer that under the “Safe Village” program several “awareness material” were produced and distributed, such as the program implementation guide, the multilingual awareness leaflets, the identifying signs of shelter or shelter, emergency kits and collars, thus serving as a stimulus for local implementation of the programs.

Although the collars were presented to the population as part of a fire protection kit, ANEPC denies that they have this function or that people wear the collars in the event of a fire. “It should be noted that these materials do not assume the characteristics of personal protective equipment , nor are they intended to provide increased protection in the event of response to rural fires, but are made of sensitization material . “ ANPC wrote in response to the Observer.

The Observer asked ANEPC whether they would collect the flammable collars – so that the population would not be at increased risk – but could not answer that particular question. ANEPC chose to point out that this action “is the first major national campaign aimed at self-protection of the population against the risk of rural fire, as well as awareness of good practices to be adopted in this area”.

Asked by the Observer as to why he had not made the collars in a material other than polyester, the owner of Fox Trot (a sole proprietorship), Ricardo Fernandes, explained that this was not his initial proposal. “We proposed a fireproof material to be fire resistant, but they didn’t want to because it was more expensive,” he explained. And he added: ” The non-flammable treatment would be a much higher value, at least more than twice the value .”

As for polyester, the owner of the company admits that “the collars as they were made are flammable, but we were told it was more for advertising, for merchandising , not for people to use in an extreme situation.”