The Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Patrícia Gaspar, affirmed that the Government has “four major measures” planned to mitigate the possible impact of the reduction of operational personnel in the fight against fires as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the Assembly of the Republic, during the Committee on Agriculture and Sea, the Secretary of State stressed that the reduction of the risk of contamination among operational personnel of the Special Rural Fire Fighting Device (DECIR) is an “absolutely fundamental aspect this year”.
“We currently have four major measures in mind, which have to do with the rotation of the device, the use of redundancy forces, balancing (balancing) means between districts and reinforcing surveillance in critical areas,” said Patrícia Gaspar.
The Device has a double challenge in 2020: to guarantee the fight against rural fires and the protection of the forest and, at the same time, to protect the operational ones that can contract Covid-19.
DECIR has “an increase of 3% compared to the numbers of 2019 and an increase of 18% compared to the average of the last years”, with absolute numbers of 11827 operational, supported by 2664 vehicles and 60 air means.
If fires reach more complex situations, up to 18 reinforcement groups are foreseen in different districts that can be balanced according to the risks and occurrences and teams of command posts prepared for more complex fires, as well as reconnaissance teams and assessment and heavy machinery at the county level to support extinction and aftermath operations.
Patrícia Gaspar added that the numbers for 2020 are encouraging so far. “It is the best year of the last ten, both in terms of the number of occurrences and in terms of the burnt area,” he said.
To guarantee the safety of all operational personnel, and within the scope of the material paid by the State to combat Covid-19, 700 thousand individual protection equipment were distributed by the fire brigades.
The Secretary of State also said that a tender is underway to acquire 10,000 personal protective equipment to fight fires.
- GNR AND PSP LAUNCH ALERT CAMPAIGN ON TUESDAY TO REDUCE PEDESTRIAN ROAD ACCIDENTS
- Address to the Nation by the Prime Minister – State of Emergency measures
- GOVERNMENT TO ANNOUNCE NEW MEASURES TO COMBAT THE PANDEMIC AT 1800 hrs
- Portugal is prepared to buy around 16 million doses of three vaccines against covid-19
- Covid-19: Study reveals that only 25% of Population keep recommended distance
- Matters raised by experts at Infarmed meeting on 10th November
- FROM NORTH TO SOUTH: ALMOST DESERTED STREETS ON FIRST SATURDAY WITH A 1300 HRS CURFEW
- The Prime Minister spoke out at the end of a Council of Ministers that lasted over eight hours.
- State of Emergency – Measures announced by Prime Minister
- Elderly people in isolation situations referenced by GNR rises to over 42 thousand
- Covid-19: Marcelo asks to avoid “an aggravated December” with “more drastic restrictions”
- Explanatory note to State of Emergency
- Parliament Authorises President to Declare State of Emergency
- Confinement excluded in the new state of emergency
- Government creates network of back-up support structures
