Archives: Situation Reports

Situation Reports news and reviews

 

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 12th June 2024

Good morning. We start with “Portugal Day”. The President of the Republic announced that one of the objectives of the Portugal Day celebrations, which began in Pedrógão Grande, is to remember the “double tragedy” of the 2017 fires and protect the future. To journalists, Marcelo stated that the objective of this year’s Portugal Day celebrations “is to draw attention to the double tragedy of June and October 2017”.

The fire that broke out on June 17, 2017 in Pedrógão Grande, in the district of Leiria, and which spread to neighbouring municipalities, caused 66 deaths and more than 250 injuries, seven of which were serious, and destroyed half a thousand homes and 50 businesses.

The official commemoration began on Sunday morning, at the Memorial in Homage to the Victims of the 2017 Forest Fires, with the ceremony of raising the national flag, followed by a tribute to the victims of the 2017 forest fires. In the morning, a mass was held in Figueiró dos Vinhos dedicated to the victims”. We will be covering the 7th anniversary of the Pedrógão Grande Fire on 17th June.

Of concern is data from the European drug report released yesterday, that the drug landscape is changing in Europe, with more potent synthetic opioid substances, new mixtures of products and changes in consumption patterns. These changes are causing a growing threat and increasing public health problems, concludes the “European Drug Report 2024 – Trends and Developments”, released today in Lisbon by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

One of the main dangers is the fact that “with poorly sold products (often on the Internet and with adulterated substances), consumers may not be aware of what they are consuming and may be subject to greater health risks, including potentially fatal poisoning,” the report highlights. Disturbing is that at the end of 2023, the EMCDDA was monitoring more than 950 new psychoactive substances, 26 of which were reported for the first time in Europe that year.

Turning to the weather we highlight the incident involving a flight from Palma De Mallorca to Vienna which was damaged when it flew thru a severe hail storm. The flight landed in Vienna at 17:59 CEST after one hour and 59 minutes of flight. No injuries reported. The aircraft sustained significant damage to its nose, windshields, and other forward-facing surfaces due to intense hail strike during the flight. Despite the turbulence and extensive damage, the plane managed to land safely on runway 11 at Vienna International Airport.

We highlight this because intense hailstorms seem to be more frequently occurring and can cause considerable damage and harm. An example yesterday from ESTOFEX Storm Forecast was their report for Romania stating that, the weather “environment is conducive for destructive hail with diameter well above 5 cm”.  If intense hail is forecast then we advise people to be aware and prepared, and take cover as well as protecting property.

The annual Global Peace Index was published yesterday afternoon. Portugal ranks seventh among the safest countries in the world, decreasing one place compared with last year (last year’s placing readjusted from 7th to 6th), and is also the fifth safest country in the European Union. A total of 163 countries surveyed. Of concern however is that according to the Institute for Economics and Peace, there are 56 active conflicts around the world with more than 90 countries involved in cross-border wars that have already forced 110 million people to leave their homes. The world has become less peaceful for the 12th time, with peace deteriorating in more than 90 countries.

Our team from Safe Communities wish you a safe and enjoyable week ahead

News

International police meeting brings together security forces from around the world in Oeiras

Police officers from several countries will exchange experiences at a meeting in Oeiras. Labour rights, artificial intelligence and the decriminalization of drugs in Portugal are among the topics under debate.

Portugal was the country chosen to host the 14th meeting of the International Council for Police Representative Associations, a body representing millions of police officers worldwide.

Between this Tuesday and the 14th, members of the security forces from several countries will debate the main challenges of the class in Paço de Arcos, Oeiras.

Speaking to SIC, Armando Ferreira, president of the National Police Union (SINAPOL) explains that “labour rights, but also matters related to police exchange and police knowledge” will be discussed at this meeting.

For example, at this year’s meeting the national authorities will “explain to all foreign representatives how the decriminalization of drug use works in Portugal”.

Among the topics under discussion will also be the use of artificial intelligence for the police service, the use of electric vehicles and examples of “successes and failures of the police mission”.

Luís Carrilho, national director of the PSP, also highlights an “important initiative” to promote dialogue between unions and police associations from an international point of view.

Asked if this could be a summer of protests and possibly some strikes by the security forces, Luís Carrilho says he trusts the police.

“We are all with a mission spirit, committed to providing a good quality of life in terms of safety for the population who live in Portugal or who choose Portugal to come and spend their holidays.”

 

More potent synthetic substances, new drugs and consumption changes pose growing threat to health

Lisbon, June 11, 2024 (Lusa) – The drug landscape is changing in Europe, with more potent synthetic opioid substances, new mixtures of products and changes in consumption patterns, data from the European drug report reveal.

These changes are causing a growing threat and increasing public health problems, concludes the “European Drug Report 2024 – Trends and Developments”, released today in Lisbon by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

This observatory begins on July 2nd a new mandate with reinforced and more comprehensive powers, given the new challenges that have arisen in the area of trafficking, consumption and new substances.

The document, which presents data from the previous year from the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU), Turkey and Norway, highlights that consumers are more exposed to “a wider range” of psychoactive substances, “often of high potency or purity, or in new forms, mixtures and combinations”.

“With poorly sold products (often on the Internet and with adulterated substances), consumers may not be aware of what they are consuming and may be subject to greater health risks, including potentially fatal poisoning.”

This is the case of heroin, which continues to be the most consumed opioid in Europe and responsible for a “significant part” of health problems, with the European market being “increasingly complex”, with a variety of synthetic substances that are causing concern.

The report highlights concerns around potent synthetic opioids, sometimes misused or mixed with medicines and other drugs, as well as MDMA (ecstasy) adulterated with synthetic cathinones (stimulants) and cannabis products adulterated with synthetic cannabinoids.

At the end of 2023, the EMCDDA was monitoring more than 950 new psychoactive substances, 26 of which were reported for the first time in Europe that year.

A message from this year’s report goes to polydrug consumption: two or more psychoactive substances at the same time or in sequence, often mixed with alcohol.

The growing opioid problem in Europe appears with an “emerging threat” called nitazenes (synthetic opioid 40 times stronger than fentanyl and 140 times more powerful than morphine), which has expanded throughout the world and which has caused last four years more than 200 deaths.

 

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 5th June 2024

Azores Civil Protection exercise will involve more than 400 participants in Terceira

The ‘TOURO24’ exercise, the largest organized annually by the Civil Protection of the Azores, which begins on Thursday on the island of Terceira, will mobilize more than 400 participants, including operatives, entities and extras, simulating “a seismo-volcaeic scenario”.

According to the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service (SRPCBA), during the exercise, which takes place between June 6th and 8th, “an increase in seismo-volcaeic activity will be simulated in the western part of the island, more specifically in the Santa Bárbara volcano, which will provoke manifestations of volcanism and the occurrence of earthquakes of high magnitude”.

Based on this scenario, the various civil protection agents will have to act in the face of the different events that will be triggered, testing their capacity to respond, coordinate and articulate.

Civil protection says that ‘TOURO24’ will last 72 hours, taking place in the LIVEX modality (‘Live Exercise’), that is, with the movement of resources on the ground, “it is estimated that it will mobilize more than 400 participants with direct and indirect intervention, including operators, entities and extras”.

The objective of the exercise, which takes place on the island of Terceira, is “to test the response capacity of the various civil protection agents in the face of a seismo-volcaeic scenario”.

The regional secretary for Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, who oversees Civil Protection and will monitor ‘TOURO24’ operations on the ground, highlights the carrying out of this exercise “as a way of strengthening the response of civil protection agents and ensure that the region is better prepared to face serious accidents or catastrophes”.

During the drill, calls for help will be made and, in different locations on the island, events such as “obstruction of access roads, movement of slopes, communications failures, search and rescue in collapsed structures, setting up of concentration zones and support for the population will be staged”, preventive evacuations”, among other incidents, details Civil Protection.

Around 30 entities participate in ‘TOURO24’, including civil protection agents (fire departments from all islands, security forces, Armed Forces, bodies of the National Maritime Authority, health professionals and the Portuguese Red Cross).

Municipal councils, government departments and entities with a duty to cooperate, technical and scientific research institutions, electricity and communications companies and media outlets also participate in the exercise.

This year, a group of evaluators made up of elements from the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, the Lisbon Firefighters Regiment, the Regional Civil Protection Service of Madeira, the National Institute of Medical Emergency and the command of the emergency services will also be present.

Floods force the relocation of 20 families

Ribeira Grande firefighters were called to intervene in the parishes of Matriz da Ribeira Grande, Ribeirinha and Gramas due to flooding that forced 20 families to be relocated.

The bad weather experienced yesterday in Ribeira Grande caused several floods in the parishes of Matriz, Ribeirinha and Lugar das Gramas which, in addition to causing damage to vehicles and homes, forced the relocation of 20 families in the municipality. The president of the Ribeira Grande City Council said that this “phenomenon” was a “waterspout” that hit Ribeira Grande.

According to the mayor, the critical points affected were the city centre, “where the river overflowed and flooded some streets in the centre and also the Ribeirinha area”, as well as in the “Grams area”.

20 families in need of relocation,  have been identified and that the municipality’s social action teams, together with the Social Security Institute of the Azores, are finding “solutions” to overcome the situation. .

For its part, the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores recorded a total of 43 occurrences at the time of writing this edition, all in this municipality, and the situations reported “are related to flooding on roads and flooding in homes”, reads a statement sent to newsrooms.

With the first rocket about to take flight, the population of Malbusca asks for more information

The Atlantic Spaceport Consortium aims to launch the first rocket this summer, to test the concept. Residents say they know nothing and ask for more information and transparency

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 5th June 2024

Good morning everyone. On Monday the Council of Ministers debated and adopted the Government’s action plan for migration, which aims to correct the serious problems inherited in the entry rules into Portugal, to resolve the more than 400 thousand outstanding issues, to ensure the operability of border control systems and dignity and humanism in the integration of immigrants.

The plan is based on the principles that Portugal needs immigrants for demographic, social and economic reasons, but this immigration must be regulated and monitored, accompanied by humanist integration and a proactive approach to attracting foreign talent. The action plan, has four axes of action (I) regulated immigration, (II) attraction of foreign talent, (III) human integration that works and (IV) institutional reorganization.

The decree-law that changes the legal regime for the entry, stay, exit and repatriation of foreigners from national territory, revokes the residence permit instruments based on the mere expression of interest, safeguarding, however, the situation of foreign citizens who have already initiated procedures residence permit under the present law.

This is a far reaching piece of legislation which came into mediate effect on midnight Monday/Tuesday 3rd/4th June. There are 41 measures listed within these four axes. What is important however is the fact that it safeguards, the situation of foreign citizens who have already initiated procedures residence permit under the present law. It is important to resolve the serious back lock of 400 thousand outstanding issues. Action plan in English here:

action-plan-for-migration-learn-about-the-main-measures

Turning to the weather. A cold air drop will move in the coming days, approaching the Mainland. This situation is forecast to cause changes in the weather on the Mainland. At an early stage (Thursday and Friday), this system will be responsible for sending the Sahara dust. In a second phase, its approach will cause instability, with possible heavy showers and thunderstorms. If the phases overlap we can expect mud rain. We are monitoring closely.

We have published several times in the past “fake accident scams” where the victim is approached by someone in a car park claiming that the person had had damaged his car by reversing into it from a parking bay. The person demands money for repairs and the demand can be quite threatening if not handed over in cash at the time. These people move between different car parks in the Algarve and we are aware of at least one occasion that the culprit had young children in his car!

We posted on Tuesday an example where the victim was an elderly lady and the culprit used a white powder on the bumper of his car and on hers, to try and simulate that an accident had taken place, whereas in fact it had not. The culprit eventually left not however before frightening the lady concerned. If this happens to you do not pay, and say you are calling the police whereupon the person concerned will normally leave quickly!

Lastly a reminder that the government has made it clear that when the fire risk is high do not burn cut and piled waste. This and extensive burns are responsible for over 50% of fires, resulting from becoming out of control. From 1st June regardless of the fire risk you need to obtain Authorisation from your city council and this will not be approved when the risk is high. In fact many municipalities have introduced blanked bans over the coming months. Remember a small spark can cause a very large fire!

Our team at Safe Communities wishes you a safe and happy week ahead

News

INEM admits delays in service, 50 calls were (simultaneously) on hold

Calls to Urgent Patient Guidance Centers have increased in recent days, overloading a service that operates with a shortage of professionals. This situation resulted in a delay of between 10 and 15 minutes in service.

In recent days, there have been serious delays in answering calls to 112. The situation was reported by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. There were periods with around 50 calls on hold, which could compromise timely assistance to the population.

INEM has already acknowledged the delays in responding to aid. Calls to Urgent Patient Guidance Centers have increased in recent days, overloading a service that operates with a ‘deficit’ of professionals. This situation resulted in a delay of between 10 and 15 minutes in service.

“We were aware that yesterday there were 50 calls on hold for long periods of the day (…)”, denounces Paulo Paço, from the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.

In addition to the shortage of professionals, INEM officials link this increase in the number of calls to high temperatures, but the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians points out other problems: obsolete screening and failures in the communications chain.

Queues and pending processes remain at AIMA, a scenario repeated in Lisbon and Porto

The long queue at AIMA in Porto leaves no room for doubt as to the immigrants’ anxiety about having the processes completed.

Márcia Nunes arrived at 22:00, stayed the night by the door, and even got first place but it didn’t do her much good. “I left without a response. They are only regularizing those who demonstrated until April 30th”, explains Márcia.

And the problems continue. Those waiting despair due to the long delays and lack of information. “I’m here today because of my nationality situation. I asked for documents, two years and seven months have passed and I still haven’t received them”, says a Russian immigrant.

“That’s what you see out there. People without assistance, god damn it, without documents, without the slightest purpose”, adds a Brazilian immigrant.

To try to resolve these situations, the Government presented a new plan for migration that highlights the end of expressions of interest, a rule that some are welcome.

“So that people don’t come to Portugal illegally. There are many situations throughout the country where many immigrants do not have a work contract and this also causes a lot of tension and social problems”, comments a Portuguese man.

Along with AIMA in Lisbon, the same measure is criticized. “First he has to draw up a work contract for which he doesn’t even know if he is qualified for that activity”, says Ricardo Amaral, president of the Association of Brazilians in Portugal.

Concerns that extend to family reunification processes.

“I went to an immigrant support institution and they were the ones who made the appointment. We didn’t have any response from AIMA”, says an Angolan immigrant.

There are almost half a million cases pending and despite the current lack of human resources, the government guarantees that they will all be regularized.

19.9 tons of waste collected in the Queima das Fitas procession in Coimbra

Coimbra, 03 June 2024 (Lusa) – Coimbra City Council collected 19.9 tonnes of waste in the Queima das Fitas procession, an amount that was entirely sent for recycling, the municipality reported today.

This year, “it was possible to send all (100%) of the waste for recovery, increasing recycling by 12.9 tons, compared to 2023 (at the time, seven tons of the 10.4 tons of waste were recycled)”, stated the Chamber in a note sent to the Lusa agency.

According to the municipality, of the 19.9 tons of waste collected during the procession, which took place on May 26th, packaging (19.56 tons), especially canned beverage packaging, which was the majority, to which are added 340 kilos of glass.

The garbage collection and street cleaning operation was carried out immediately after the passage of the student floats, between the upper and lower parts of the city, and involved 70 workers, nine vehicles, with different functionalities, and more than a dozen of complementary technical means.

“In addition, a waste collection system was set up at the end of the procession, before the cars were dismantled, within the cars themselves, provided by the City Council”, he added.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 29th May 2024

by Mike Evans

We start this report with the news that across the whole of Portugal there have been 49 drownings so far this year. As we move into summer we can expect this number to increase as people still do not seem to take the issue of bathing seriously. In April, The president of the Portuguese Federation of Lifeguards (FEPONS) defended that the bathing season “cannot be restricted to summer only” and advocated an increase in water safety education.

Alexandre Tadeia reacted in this way to the various drowning situations recorded during one weekend on Portuguese beaches, which led the National Maritime Authority to carry out 249 rescues over three days, with three people subsequently drowning. According to Alexandre Tadeia, “The first measure that must be taken is that the bathing season cannot be restricted to just the summer, it has to be much more dynamic, just like the fire season. It has to be all year round because we use the beaches all year round”. Alexandre Tadeia realised a long time ago that, “with climate change, there would be periods of heat outside what is normal” and recalled that, in 2020, through a study, FEPONS managed to “correlate the rise in temperature with deaths by drowning.”

“This means that, when the temperature rises, deaths increase as well. Now, when we saw the predictions of heat waves, it is obvious that we saw them with scepticism, because obviously the beaches are not monitored and this is perhaps the first measure that should be taken”, he stated.

 We recently ran a post on our Facebook page which highlighted again the danger of rip currents and the response was amazing and we reached over 620,000 people which shows that people are concerned and it is good to see that one of our local councils, Lagos, The “Surf & Rescue” project takes place for the first time in Lagos , through training, on May 29th, at Porto de Mós Beach, combining surfing and water rescue.

This action is developed in partnership between the Portuguese Surf Schools Association and the Shipwreck Aid Institute, with the common objective of saving lives.

Within the scope of the project, training is provided, from the north to the south of the country, with a theoretical and practical component aimed at surfers, surf school coaches and lifeguards who, over the course of seven hours of training, will be equipped with skills to help drowning victims and how to act in situations where they may be in danger. At the same time, the training grants participants 1.4 credit units to revalidate the Professional Title of Sports Coach, issued by the IPDJ (Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth). Let’s hope that more councils take up this initiative in the future.

Now a look at what has been happening across the Algarve in the past week.

Food Bank Collects over 100 tons of food

The Algarve Food Bank Against Hunger collected 113.16 tonnes, in its latest solidarity campaign to collect food from supermarkets, held this weekend. A total of 113.16 tonnes of food were collected from 110 commercial areas and two warehouses.

As in previous years, the food raised will begin to be distributed this week to 128 charitable institutions. Around 19,751 people with proven food needs will receive hampers or prepared meals.

3 Men arrested for Robbery in Albufeira remanded in custody.

The Public Prosecutor of the second section of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action of Portimão ( DIAP ) presented three men to court, on May 22, for the first judicial interrogation, after their arrest. The 20-year-old and two 24-year-old detainees are heavily accused of robbery crimes.

The events occurred in May this year, in Portimão. On two separate occasions, one of the men took the cell phones of two victims, who were walking on the street, and escaped in a car where the other two detainees were.

Subsequently, the defendants accessed the “Revolut” card that was installed on one of the cell phones they seized and made two bank transfers to an account belonging to one of the detainees; respectively, worth €900.00 and €950.00. The Public Prosecutor requested the preventive detention of the three detainees, which was determined by the Criminal Investigation Judge.

The investigation was carried out by the Albufeira territorial detachment of the National Republican Guard.

Woman injured after being run over in VRSA

A woman was injured this Thursday, May 23rd, following a collision in Bairro do Matadouro, in Vila Real de Santo António.

From what JA was able to determine, the victim was immobilised by the Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim Fire Department and was transported to a hospital unit.

There were nine operatives at the scene of the incident, assisted by three vehicles. The GNR took charge of the incident.

Two new teams reinforce fire fighting service in the region

The Algarve will have another permanent intervention team and another of Forestry Sappers in the Special Rural Fire Fighting Device (DECIR) of 2024, which also increases compensation for firefighters, Civil Protection announced today.

These are the “significant changes” planned for 2024 by the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command , which highlighted in a statement the contribution of the new permanent intervention team for the district of Faro, which brings the number of these teams in the region to 36, compared to 2023.

The Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command (CREPCA) also highlighted that the rural firefighting device will this year include the addition of a team of Forestry Sappers, which will be “operationalized in the municipality of Silves”. It is also planned to increase the compensation awarded to firefighters who join DECIR by 6.10 euros, with the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) supporting an additional 3.10 euros and the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL) 3, 00 euros, he quantified.

“Surveillance and inspection actions will also be brought forward in areas historically most vulnerable to rural fires” and means of initial attack and/or expanded attack will be pre-positioned” in strategic pre-positioning locations, in addition to “another firefighting group being constituted ”.

For the initial attack, an “initial dispatch will be made, within two minutes after the alert, in triangulation of ground combat resources, coming from the three fire departments closest to the identified location, combining three firefighting teams from the aforementioned units and a logistical team to support the fire department’s combat with primary responsibility for action in the respective area of ​​activity”. CREPCA indicated that “the closest initial attack aerial means and respective heli transport team will also be activated simultaneously, if available, or, whenever the fire is located in a priority parish, or even, in areas of high danger, The two closest initial attack air assets will be dispatched, for combined intervention by more than one initial attack air asset.”

“At the same time, the GNR’s forestry information maintenance and exploration team, permanently in the CREPC’s SALOC [joint operations room], uses the means and teams of the surveillance, detection and first intervention device that operate in the respective area where they are located. develops the incident”, said Civil Protection.

CREPCA added that, “given that, in recent years, as a result of a continuous process of lessons learned, the measures implemented have proven to be fruitful”, the option for DECIR 2024 was to focus on “consolidating temporary parking bases for means of combat in strategic locations, with high danger of rural fire, for pre-positioning and logistical support of immediate reinforcement units”.

Two firefighting brigades will be pre-positioned, one in the windward (west) and the other in the leeward (east), and two firefighting groups from the Algarve Fire Brigade and the extended attack company of the Emergency Protection Unit will be mobilised. Help (UEPS) from GNR.

The device continues to have two reconnaissance and situation assessment teams at regional level, operated by the Fire Department, at the request of the Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command (CREPC).

It also integrates the 16 teams for reconnaissance and assessment of the situation in forest fires at municipal level, coordinated by the respective Municipal Civil Protection Services and with a tactical team for engaging track machines operated by firefighters qualified for the purpose, which will be reinforced this year.

The emphasis will also continue to be placed on “the close relationship with Parish Councils in the most vulnerable areas,” he concluded.

And finally, to end this report we bring you the news of the celebrations that will happen in Portimao which celebrates its 100th Anniversary as a city.

Marches, art and gastronomy mark Portimão’s centenary

Next month, the city’s 100th anniversary celebrations continue with a range of activities for everyone.

The city of Portimão will have a diverse program of activities, as part of the city’s centenary, next June, with emphasis on popular marches and “three innovative projects that invite everyone to leave their mark on art, gastronomy and in music”, highlights the municipality in a statement.

The theme “100 Years of the City” will inspire the Popular Marches, whose common identity and creativity will be highlighted in five parades, with the participation of more than a thousand people.

On the 1st of June, at 10pm, the Portimão Arena begins the 23rd edition of the Popular Marches, with the first parade. After this initial event, they will march, always starting at 10pm, in the following order: June 7th – football field at the Mexilhoeira Grande Sports Complex; June 14th – Alvor riverside area; June 16th – Montes de Alvor Sports Pavilion; June 21st – Praia da Rocha, next to the Santa Catarina Fortress; June 28th – Portimão riverside area, next to the Clube Naval, where the traditional apotheosis will take place.

The Santos Populares festivals will also return to Praça da República on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 28th of June, from 7pm to 1am, with various food and drink stalls operating in addition to the musical entertainment, run by cultural and playground.

Art and gastronomy

The month will also be marked by the projects “100 Years, 100 Sardines” and “100 Years, 100 Flavors”.

According to the municipality, “the urban art project “100 Years, 100 Sardines” highlights one of Portimão’s most iconic ex-libris and aims to select 50 proposals created by “Picasso” candidates, who must download the respective template here , where additional information can be consulted”.

After the submission process, the 50 chosen images will join the panel of fifty invited artists, including graphic designers, illustrators, tattoo artists, photographers, painters, etc., thus totaling one hundred small works of art, which could be explored by everyone, allowing through individual QR Codes to discover many historical curiosities about the municipality.

As for the “100 Years, 100 Flavours’ ‘ project, it challenges restaurants to sign up to a special itinerary, which will run from September 13th to October 13th, creating a dish worthy of this centenary celebration, in the Chef, Tasting and Sweet categories. Organised by the Teia de Impulsos association, the itinerary will have a solidarity aspect, through the purchase of a guide, at a unit price of 1.5 euros, the funds of which are intended to support non-profit institutions in the municipality.

Music as a unifying element

The “Musical Laboratories” project, which is part of the artistic program created by Lavrar o Mar – Cooperativa Cultural, will be presented on June 13th, starting at 6pm, at the Portimão Museum. Guitars, winds and voice are the components of the “Musical Laboratories”, aimed at professionals and amateurs in Portimão, from the age of 6, who wish to rediscover the pleasure of playing together, for which they must register in advance and free of charge by 21 of June.

Musicians Pedro Salvador, Johannes Krieger and Margarida Mestre will be the mentors and organise sessions between July and December.

Still in the musical component, the highlight is the recital “Cantigas Sefarditas em Homage to the Poet João Pinto Delgado”, which will take place from 9pm on June 15th at the Teatro Municipal de Portimão, with a performance by singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Eduardo Ramos , which will be accompanied by the Arabic lute. Theatrical project “This is my city and I want to live in it”

During the first fortnight of June, the artistic director of the Teatro do Vestido collective will be in Portimão carrying out intensive research, aiming for the presentation in December of the theatrical project “This is my city and I want to live in it – Portimão Edition”.

The solo dance show and new circus “Horizon”, initially scheduled for the 1st and 2nd of June, was postponed until an opportune date, due to the injury of the artist Chloé Moglia.

Air Force blows out 72 candles in Portimão

Finally, from June 29th to July 7th, the Portuguese Air Force will celebrate 72 years of service to the country, in Portimão through a series of events, including exhibitions, recreational activities, competitions, unique experiences such as flight baptisms, aerial displays , popular concerts by his band and, mainly, a military ceremony of great impact.

Until the next time, enjoy the sunshine but stay safe.

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 29th May 2024

Good morning. I hope everyone living in rural areas who need to clean their land has done so, as the fire danger in coming days is the by far the highest so far this year.

In areas where fuel is available, weather plays a pivotal role in determining the risk of fires. Fire danger indices are used to understand how the flammability of a specific region changes in response to weather conditions, and to evaluate the potential spread and intensity of a fire. These indices are calculated from parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation, the moisture content of potential fuels, and the prevailing weather conditions over the preceding days to months.

In some areas, such as Castelo Branco on 31st we may see “extreme levels” in indicators which determine the intensity of potential fires by combining the rate of fire spread with the amount of fuel being consumed. This is very important to be aware of as when levels reach 50 or more this means that any fires that get hold will be difficult to supress by traditional means of firefighting, and typically are only done so with the change of weather, such as reduced winds or precipitation.

Turning to water shortages, it was revealed earlier this week, that in the last ten years, around 840 million euros of already treated and unbilled water were wasted by the distribution network, according to June edition of the magazine Deco Proteste, based on data from the regulator ERSAR. In 2022, 162 million cubic meters of water were wasted, warns Deco Proteste, adding up to 88 million euros of unbilled water in one year and around 840 million euros in ten years, according to data from the Water and Water Services Regulatory Authority. Waste (ERSAR).

Alerting to the urgent need to rehabilitate the water supply infrastructure at national level, which is aging and subject to increasing water losses and supply failures, it was found that 87 municipalities, of the 278 municipalities on the continent, with increases in real losses of water, and 161 with reduction. So when the government and municipalities consider longer term solution such as desalination for instance, this will be of limited use, should the water subsequently we wasted en-route to users through leaking pipes!

Lastly a thank you for all those who visited us at the São Brás Museu do Traje, Spring Fair 2024 held last Sunday. Great weather and company.

Plenty of visitors and many enquiries covering land cleaning, wells, crime prevention, work of Safe Communities, emergency medical card, contact information for emergencies and sharing of experiences. We thank our team, Jane, Antonia, Mike and Karen and David for their help and support. We also thank the organisers for such a well-attended and enjoyable community event.

Turning to crime prevention. PSP has announced an increase in burglaries inside residences through deception. Preferred targets are elderly, or especially vulnerable, people who live alone or in isolated homes. Suspects try to trick victims through a cover story to gain access.  Don’t open the door to strangers, don’t be misled by the presence of children and have emergency contacts in easy-accessible places. If you notice anything unusual contact PSP immediately! For those in rural areas call the GNR or in an emergency 112

Our team at Safe Communities wish you all a safe and happy week ahead.

News

Russian hackers attack in Spain during Zelensky’s visit. Portugal could be the next target

Pro-Putin ‘hacktivists’ illegally accessed the websites of the regional Parliament and the Madrid Metro, as well as video surveillance camera systems, during the Ukrainian president’s visit to that country. Portugal may suffer similar attacks

At least three groups of ‘hacktivists’ defending Vladimir Putin’s government claimed computer attacks in Spain during Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit last Monday.

On Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin considered that the only legitimate power in Ukraine now belongs to the Ukrainian parliament and not the President, claiming that Volodymyr Zelensky’s term ended on May 20.

“The Ukrainian Constitution provides for the extension of powers, but only for the Rada [Parliament], and does not say anything about the extension of the President’s powers,” Putin said at the end of a visit to Uzbekistan.

Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian law prohibits holding presidential elections while martial law is in force, but said this does not mean that the functions of the current head of state are automatically expanded.

“The Constitution [of Ukraine] says nothing about this,” he said, insisting that “in fact, presidential functions have passed to the head of the Ukrainian Parliament.”

GNR inspected around 1.9 million people at maritime borders in six months

Lisbon, May 27 (Lusa) – The GNR inspected around 1.9 million people at maritime borders between October 29 and the end of April, mainly for tourist visits, the corporation announced today.

The Republican National Guard today took stock of the six months in which it assumed responsibility for controlling maritime and land borders with the extinction of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) on October 29, 2023.

In a statement, the GNR states that, in six months, around 1.9 million people who entered and left the country on 8,100 vessels were controlled, with special emphasis on cruise ships, with the ports of Lisbon and Funchal recording the largest number of entries.

The GNR also reports that, between October 29, 2023 and the end of April this year, it carried out more than 1.1 million administrative procedures at border posts related to the issuance of visas, licenses to come ashore and licenses to access to the international zone.

In the same period, the GNR’s territorial immigration inspection centers carried out more than 300 operations throughout the country, aimed especially at the agriculture, industry and services sectors, during which they inspected the status of around 9,500 foreigners.

According to the GNR, the districts where the most operations were carried out were Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Santarém, with “special priority” being given to entries at the Vila Formoso and Caia borders, where several violations of the foreigner’s law were recorded.

The main administrative offenses detected by the Guard soldiers were related to the lack of declaration of entry into national territory (324).

The GNR also detained six people for illegally staying in Portugal.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 29th May 2024

Seven islands in the Azores under yellow warning due to sometimes heavy rain

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) placed the islands in the Eastern and Central groups of the Azores under yellow warning, between this Tuesday and Wednesday, due to sometimes heavy rain.

According to the IPMA bulletin, on the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria, which make up the Eastern group, the yellow warning for precipitation is valid between 10pm today and 12pm on Wednesday.

On the islands of Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira, the yellow warning has been in force since 6am and will be valid until midnight today.

Wave of robberies scares residents of Lomba da Maia

Cars, homes and commercial establishments are no escape from robberies. President of the parish council shares concern and fears that residents will take justice into their own hands.

Cafes, fuel pumps, “everything commercial establishment in Lomba da Maia has already been robbed”, says the mayor.

Several homes have also been the target of robberies: “Elderly people are getting scared. The other day, they robbed the house of an elderly woman, who since she moved into the house 35 years ago, never closed the back door and that’s how they entered. People have been sleeping with the lights on.”

According to statements, the number of robberies is reaching around fifty. But there could be more, which is why the president of the parish council urges the population to file a complaint with the police authorities, collaborating with residents who have no way of getting to the nearest police station.
“We encourage people to make complaints. Those who don’t have a vehicle, we transport them in the council’s van to the Maia police station, the closest”.

Alberto Pacheco da Ponte says that the robberies are due to the drug addiction problem, which is getting worse in the parish, and that they generally occur in the early hours of the morning. “And it’s not just in Lomba da Maia: in neighbouring parishes there are also reports of robberies of the same type”, he adds.

The mayor says he has already taken several initiatives to combat the problem but admits that it is proving difficult to control the situation. “We have already made complaints to the PSP, which has been making rounds in the parish, almost every day, at different times”.

More than 100 packages of food seized in São Miguel

The Azores Territorial Command, through the Ponta Delgada Territorial Post, seized 112 packages of frozen food products on the island of São Miguel.

According to a statement, following an inspection action, within the scope of the goods in circulation regime, GNR personnel approached a vehicle that “was transporting various frozen food products destined for sale to the final consumer, without these being properly refrigerated”.

The action resulted in the identification of a 51-year-old man, and a misdemeanour report was drawn up for transporting, storing and selling “foodstuffs with a lack of requirements and without the rules for safeguarding cleanliness and hygiene having been complied with”.

This infraction is considered a “serious economic offense, punishable by a maximum fine of 3,000 euros, with the facts being informed to the Regional Inspection of Economic Activities”, says the GNR statement.

Still during the investigations carried out, on May 21st, and after the “hygienic and sanitary check by the municipal veterinarian of the municipality of Lagoa, it was certified that the food items were suitable for human consumption, and the goods were delivered to an institution of social solidarity”.

 

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 22nd May 2024

 

From our correspondent in the Azores

Ponta Delgada Hospital resumes external consultations except paediatrics on Tuesday.

The hospital in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, which is gradually restoring outpatient clinical activity after the fire, announced today that it will resume external consultations in all specialties, except paediatrics, on Tuesday.

According to a post on the Facebook page of the Hospital do Espírito Santo (HDES), from Tuesday “[external] consultations in all specialties will be resumed, with the exception of Paediatrics”.

The publication states that, on the same day, on the 1st floor of the Ponta Delgada hospital building, on the island of São Miguel, there will be “the resumption of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, of the Psychiatry consultation (operating in the Day Hospital space) and [the] Pulmonology consultation (operating in the Respiratory Rehabilitation space)”.

HDES, however, appeals to users not to go to the hospital in person if they have not been contacted to do so.

The Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, in Ponta Delgada, suffered a fire on May 4th, which forced the transfer of all patients who were hospitalized to various locations in the Azores, Madeira and the mainland.

Shortly after the fire, the Government of the Azores declared the situation of public calamity to “accelerate procedures” that would allow the activity of the largest Azorean health unit to be normalized in a “short space of time”.

On Wednesday, in a press conference, the president of the board of directors, Manuela Gomes de Menezes, said that, “having guaranteed the security and normal functioning of all systems”, the prospect was “moving towards the partial reopening of the consultation external hospital, the resumption of the patient movement service and the return of non-clinical hospital employees”.

On the same date, May 15th, the clinical director said that oncology treatments at HDES would be regularized by the end of this week.

“Regarding oncological treatments, all will be completely resolved, and normal operation will occur at the end of next week”, said Paula Macedo.

Also, according to Paula Macedo, from the 27th, the unit will be “functioning practically [in a] normal way”, although there may be “some difficulties”, not in terms of treatments, but of consultations.

Government of the Azores warns of possible increase in the social mobility tariff.

The Secretary of Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure of the Government of the Azores warned deputies of the Regional Assembly this Friday about the possibility that the social mobility tariff could increase between the archipelago and the mainland.

Passengers from the Azores to pay just 134 euros (the maximum value for a resident fare between the region and the continent) and that the difference between this value and the real cost of the fare is then reimbursed to the airlines, directly by the State.

Currently, Azoreans traveling between the region and the continent have to purchase airline tickets at prices much higher than 134 euros and are subsequently reimbursed for the difference at CTT counters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Algarve Report Wednesday 22 May 2024

 

By Mike Evans

As we approach the summer season, it is good to hear that many of the areas along the coast of the Algarve have received their flags of quality for the beaches and the water.

Quercus – National Association for Nature Conservation awarded the “Golden Quality” award to the sea water of several beaches in Portimão: Rocha, Três Castelos, Careanos, Barranco das Canas, Vau, Alvor-nascente and Alvor-poente.

The main criterion for this distinction is that the water quality must have been “excellent” in the last five bathing seasons, from 2019 to 2023, based on analyses carried out in the laboratories of the different Regional Hydrographic Administrations, especially in terms of bacterial indicators. According to Quercus there are 59 beaches across the Algarve which have been awarded these flags. In addition to the award, all beaches in the municipality bear the Blue Flag, for fulfilling a set of criteria related to “information and education and environmental management, bathing water quality, safety and services, social responsibility and community involvement”.

On a general comment, the temperature of the sea is still pretty low and anyone venturing into the sea for a dip should be aware of the dangers of getting cramp as well as the possibility of Rip currents, a topic we recently spoke about on Facebook and reached almost 700,000 people so if you are not sure how to spot a rip current please check our Facebook site and search for Rip Currents.

Now for a look at what else has happened in the past week across the Algarve.

Food Bank calls for “unity and help” from the population

The Algarve Food Bank is preparing to carry out another solidarity food collection campaign, on the 25th and 26th of May, across the region.

To participate in the campaign as a volunteer, interested parties can register at this website:   https://registo.appia-ipss.pt/ Registration is mandatory and must be repeated for each campaign.

Nuno Cabrita Alves, president of the Algarve Food Bank, calls for “everyone’s unity and help in this cause”. The person responsible emphasises that “one hour of your day will make a difference in the lives of thousands of families”. In a statement, this institution highlights that “volunteers are essential in any of the 130 stores, spread across all municipalities in the region, where it is necessary to distribute bags and, later, receive food with donations. In the Faro and Portimão warehouses, help is essential to unload food and separate it, fold bags, among other tasks”.

In addition to the volunteers, Nuno Cabrita Alves reinforces that more food donations are also needed. Help can be provided in stores with food or vouchers, but also here, with food donations or through financial support, from May 24th to June 2nd. All companies in the food sector, such as producers, industry and distributors can send their surpluses to the institution.

GNR arrests woman for drug trafficking in Monte Gordo

A 26-year-old woman, suspected of drug trafficking, was arrested on Sunday by the Republican National Guard (GNR) in Monte Gordo, in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António , it was announced on Monday.

The woman was arrested after “demonstrating suspicious behaviour” when approached by the military during a patrol action carried out in the town of Monte Gordo, the GNR said in a statement.

According to that security force, the suspect who was travelling on an electric bicycle had 16 individual doses of hashish in her possession. In subsequent investigations, the GNR found that the suspect “had more narcotic products” in the house where she lived with her 26-year-old boyfriend, who was identified.

In total, authorities seized 730 individual doses of hashish, 84 doses of MDMA (synthetic drug also known as ‘ecstasy’) and around 200 euros.

The two suspects were named defendants and the case was sent to the Judicial Court of Vila Real de Santo António.

Preventive arrest for vehicle theft suspect

A 45-year-old man, arrested by the National Republican Guard (GNR) last Thursday on suspicion of vehicle theft in the Algarve municipalities of Lagos and Portimão, was remanded in pre-trial detention, it was announced on Monday.

The information was revealed, in a statement, by the Faro Territorial Command of the GNR, and the most serious coercive measure was decreed on Friday by the Court of Lagos.

The suspect’s arrest was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Unit (NIC) of the GNR of Portimão, as part of an investigation that began on May 1 and originated from a vehicle theft, the GNR reported. According to the security force, police investigations found that the suspect, in addition to stealing items from vehicles, used the victims’ bank cards to make purchases and withdraw money.

57 People Arrested in the Algarve during Road Campaign

During the week of 13 to 19 May, 155 accidents were recorded in the Algarve, resulting in 2 deaths, 3 serious injuries and 33 minor injuries. The GNR carried out a series of operations in the district of Faro, in the week, which aimed to prevent and combat violent crime, as well as road inspections.

In a statement, the National Republican Guard (GNR) said it arrested 57 people, including 17 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 13 for driving without a legal licence, and 5 for drug trafficking. Security forces also seized 818 doses of hashish, 61 doses of cocaine, 4 cell phones, and 2 precision scales.

Fatal accident sees driver and vehicle burnt near Almancil

A violent accident early this morning on the EN125 near Almancil saw the driver of a Spanish-plated Range Rover SVR V8 completely carbonised, within the vehicle, and only had a driver’s seat. It appears to have been carrying a large stash of hashish.

According to reports, three men wearing hoodies were seen removing some of the contents from the burning wreckage to another vehicle, before ‘fleeing’ at speed.

Eye witnesses have given accounts of everything they saw to GNR police, who have handed the main case to PJ judicial police.

GNR agents were able to recover at least 10 kilos of hashish (albeit charred) from the vehicle, which had otherwise been utterly destroyed.

According to reports, the unidentified driver was “caught in the blazing wreckage”. Whether he died as a result of the initial crash, or the fire (or something else), may never be fully established. The accident took place in the early hours: the Spanish-plated Range Rover hit a pillar at the viaduct off the EN125 giving access to Quarteira.

It is still unclear whether the driver had any connection to the three men who removed items from the crashed car, or indeed, what circumstances may have led to the accident. Some accounts in the media have suggested the Range Rover may have been being pursued by the car carrying the three men before it so catastrophically hit the viaduct pillar.

Tourist dies shortly after arriving at Faro Airport

A 70 year old Belgian tourist arriving from Brussels on Monday evening, died after feeling unwell and suffering a cardiac arrest near the airport’s arrival gate.

According to Portuguese TV channel TVI, the woman travelled alone on a Transavia flight to Faro, and was initially assisted by the airport’s medical emergency teams and a resuscitation vehicle from INEM. However, it was not possible to “reverse her condition of cardiorespiratory arrest, even after several attempts at resuscitation.”

The woman’s death was declared at 6:50pm, and PSP contacted the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as the death occurred in a public place and the cause was undetermined. It was only around 10:00 pm that the order was given for the body to be removed from the location.

 

 

 

 

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 22nd May 2024

 

Good morning. Anything that helps in improving the forecasting rural fires is good news! So we therefore welcome the IPMA’s announcement yesterday that they have reinforced its meteorological device for the rural fire season of 2024, with the entry into operation of two new double polarized weather radars and two new meteorological stations installed in Coruche and Loulé and also, 2 new ray detectors installed in Olhão and in Viana do Castelo.

This equipment will make it possible to improve the surveillance and overall forecasting of rural fire danger and local weather conditions on the fire front, particularly during pyro cumulus cloud formation and potential ignitions generated by electrical discharges.

Added to that radar information operation terminals have also been installed at Faro, Cascais, Lisbon and Porto Airports which serve as workstations complementary to the national forest fire monitoring system – and in addition to the Operational Centre at IPMA headquarters – a closer support at the theatres of operation.

In the presentation of DECIR (the operational rural fire plan for this year) for this year, the president of ANEPC highlighted that this “is a collective effort of the operatives” who are part of it, but also of all citizens, as everyone, “within the scope of active citizenship”, are “truly, civil protection agents”. This is an important statement, in effect reminding us all that everyone has a roll to play in preventing fires.

Emphasising this further Duarte da Costa added that “the critical success factors of this system are prevention and awareness campaigns”, stressing that “the fire campaign is not won through fighting, but through prevention”.

In this regard, he listed the “permanent monitoring of risk assessments and their impact on the territory, pre-positioning and preventive mobilization of means and resources” and “early detection, as early as possible, supported by an increasingly broad collaborative approach to surveillance and all technical surveillance capabilities”.

The above has to be the priority because if we everyone has greater awareness and are more prepared, then the number of ignitions will be reduced. With weather conditions becoming more extreme with extended periods in some areas with very little or no rain, when fires do start then the potential is that they will burn with greater intensity and cover larger areas. When these reach extreme/critical levels this means that it becomes difficult if not impossible for fires to be suppressed by traditional means of fire-fighting, and it relies on the timely arrival of rain, reduction of winds, or other changes of weather to bring such fires to a conclusion – a frightening thought!  This is a reason which mega-fires can burn for extended periods covering several days or even weeks which we have seen in Australia, USA and Canada for example.

As we did in 2022 and 2023 we will be sharing fire danger and risk forecasts, with explanations on a daily basis – please read these so you can be prepared.

Have a good week ahead.

 

News

Reporting desk wants to give visibility to the problems of immigrants and refugees,

Lisbon, May 21, 2024 (Lusa) – A reporting desk for immigrants and refugees opens today on the internet, aimed at reporting problems and abuses in order to give visibility to the most serious situations.

“We have felt the need for this project for some time, because we have come into contact with some situations, some occurrences among the migrant and refugee population in Portugal, which they do not find answers at the level of structures”, Raul Manarte, from the Humans Before collective, told Lusa Borders (HuBB), which is part of the project.

The objective of the project, which also includes groups of migrants and refugees and students from the Porto Higher Education School, is therefore to “increase the social visibility” of the problems among the population and the media, he added.

Each “refugee can leave their complaint, their account of what happened” and the “main objective is to compile this information and process it in an assertive way so that it can be accessible” to anyone who is interested.

The quantitative data “will be public” and the information will be anonymous, but individual reports will be made available on a case-by-case basis to the authorities or to anyone who has the right to request them.

The portal address – balcaodenuncia.pt – will be published on the social media pages of the associations that organize the project and the form will be accessible in Portuguese, English, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Urdu, Ukrainian and Nepali.

The project, the promoters maintain, “intends to overcome accessibility barriers and collect, compile and disseminate occurrences of abuse, mistreatment, neglect or general non-compliance through online reports”.

The desk wants to “compile the complaints received and transform them into public data” through social networks and collaboration with the media, to allow “civil society to have a more accurate vision of the difficulties that the migrant and refugee population experiences in Portugal”.

Furthermore, this data “could be used in civic action campaigns, pressuring structures or decision-makers to take concrete steps that allow the reduction or eradication of verified occurrences”, say the promoters.

“In parallel, an exhibition will be opened in Póvoa de Varzim, with a portrait of 12 migrants and refugees here in Portugal, who are also co-creators of this counter”, explained Raul Manarte.

The exhibition “Us and Them”, consisting of portraits of migrants and refugees in Portugal, to be opened at the Municipal Archives.

The Website, in Portuguese and English, was formed today and is at: http://balcaodenuncia.pt/

 

More than 51 thousand hospitalized patients in 2023 were at nutritional risk

 

 

Lisbon, May 20, 2024 (Lusa) – More than 51 thousand hospitalized patients in 2023 were at nutritional risk, that is, 28% of patients screened, and less than half (48%) were intervened in the first 24 hours after being signalled, data from the Directorate-General for Health.

The data is contained in the Annual Report of the National Program for the Promotion of Healthy Eating (PNPAS) 2023 of the DGS, released today, which monitors nutritional risk, that is, the risk of morbidity and mortality due to nutritional status, in hospitals of the National Health Service ( SNS).

Of the 181,019 hospitalized patients who underwent nutritional screening last year, 51,238 (28.3%) were at nutritional risk, says the report, adding that the average percentage of patients assessed was 31.2% in 2023, from 29.2% in 2022 and 27.4% in 2021.

According to the data, around 48% of patients at nutritional risk underwent nutritional intervention in the first 24 hours after the warning and 69.4% of adult patients at nutritional risk underwent nutritional intervention.

Commenting on these data to the Lusa agency, the director of PNPAS, Maria João Gregório, stated that the percentage of patients identified as being at nutritional risk (28.3%) is consistent with what is described in the studies.

The nutritionist explained that malnutrition is often associated with the disease.

On the other hand, he stated, “a large percentage of the hospital population is elderly and malnutrition is also more prevalent in these population groups and, therefore, these numbers are more or less in line with what is described in the literature”.

 

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 15th May 2024

 

Good morning. Yesterday I had the pleasure in participating in Regional Exercise – DECIRALG’24. This is the preparation phase of #DECIR24, powered by the Algarve Regional Command, of the Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil (ANEPC) which culminates with the usual final exercise – DECIRALG’24. This involved around 400 elements, from the different Civil Protection Services and Agents and other entities, co-operators, including 176 firefighters from the region and Safe Communities Portugal (as a Civil Protection Volunteer organisation).

With a very high fire risk in the Algarve yesterday, the possibility existed of a real fire, which came about towards the end of the exercise near Quinta das Alfambras, in the parish of Bordeira, in Aljezur. This forced the evacuation of a motorhome park Parque de campismo Francelos, in the area of the Espinhaço de Cão wind farm. It was one of the largest fires of the year in terms of deployment, involving 115 operatives. Fire now under vigilance stage.

Today Forest firefighting resources will be reinforced, with 11,293 operational resources and 34 aerial resources on the ground, according to the Special Device for Combating Rural Fires (DECIR). The next reinforcement stage begins on the 1St June. In discussion with many different entities participating in the DECIRALG’24 Exercise there appears to be a general consensus, that this could be a challenging year in the Algarve as far as fires are concerned, with very dry condition and high temperatures. It is extremely important therefore that everyone is vigilant and is prepared.

Around 5 days ago we posted a reminder about the dangers of Rip Currents. It seems to have had a very positive impact reaching over a quarter of million people and being shared nearly one thousand times! This an excellent response showing the importance of getting public safety messages across.

As the weather is becoming warmer and if heading for the beach, it is important  to know how to spot a rip current. Unfortunately, it’s where it looks easiest and safest to enter the sea. This is because the rip current is looping around and pulling back out. Hence no waves rolling-in. NEVER enter the sea here.  If you are already in the sea and get caught in a rip current (you’ll know because you will suddenly be moved from your location and it will be impossible to swim against it) don’t panic. Swim ACROSS, not against the rip current. For example, rather than trying to swim to shore while being pushed out, swim parallel to the beach and you will be able to get out. Then you can swim ashore.

Please educate friends or family visiting the beaches this summer. Stay safe. Here is a link to a Youtube video that shows the full extent of a rip current. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuAlDTC_gIQ

Lastly a reminder that land cleaning must be completed by 31st May. If this includes the burning of cut and piled waste, due to the current very high fire risk in the Algarve, you will need to choose your day where the risk in your municipality is lower.

With that have a safe week ahead.

News

Government follows CTI recommendation and chooses Alcochete for new airport

Lisbon, May 14, 2024 (Lusa) – The Government today approved the construction of the new airport in the Lisbon region in Alcochete, following the recommendation of the Independent Technical Commission (CTI), announced the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro.

“The Government decided to approve the development of the new Lisbon airport with a view to fully replacing Humberto Delgado Airport at the Alcochete shooting range and giving it the name Luís de Camões Airport”, announced Luís Montenegro, in a statement to the country, after an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers this afternoon.

On March 11, the CTI published the final report of the strategic environmental assessment of the new airport, maintaining the recommendation of a single solution in Alcochete, the most advantageous, or Vendas Novas, also pointing out that Humberto Delgado + Santarém could be a transitional solution.

The PSD decided to set up an internal working group to analyze the location of the new Lisbon airport, after agreeing with the PS to set up a CTI to carry out the strategic environmental assessment.

The social democratic president, Luís Montenegro, guaranteed, before being elected, that the decision would be taken “in the first days” of government.

The Government explained today that the Alcochete Shooting Range has the advantage of being located entirely on public land, while Vendas Novas requires expropriations, representing additional burden and allows, in the future, to grow from two to four lanes, if necessary.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, who spoke after the Prime Minister, also recalled that Alcochete already had an Environmental Impact Declaration approved, which is currently expired, and that it is closer to Lisbon, compared to Vendas Novas, requiring less time and travel costs.

The Government also pointed out as an advantage the proximity of Alcochete to the main roads and railways, which allows traffic to be decentralized in the center of Lisbon.

The Government’s rationale for the decision also included the possibility of accommodating TAP’s expansion plans, which have preliminary projections of 190-250 aircraft in 2050, and dual solutions could jeopardize the sustainability of the ‘hub’ (airport platform). flight distribution).

 

Forest firefighting resources reinforced from today

Lisbon, May 15, 2024 (Lusa) – Forest firefighting resources will be reinforced from today, with 11,293 operational resources and 34 aerial resources on the ground, according to the Special Device for Combating Rural Fires (DECIR).

This device will be on the ground between today and May 31st, and it is the first reinforcement of resources of the year, at what is called ‘Bravo level’.

During this period, 11,293 operatives will be available, forming part of 2,517 teams of various agents present on the ground, in addition to aerial assets, of which there will be a maximum of 34.

The 11,293 operatives from the 2,517 teams involved in DECIR over the next two weeks are elements belonging to the volunteer firefighters, Special Civil Protection Force, military personnel from the National Republican Guard and elements from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, namely forestry sappers and forestry firefighters. .

Compared to the same period last year, 893 more operational personnel and an identical number of aerial assets are involved in DECIR.

Firefighting resources will be reinforced again on June 1st, but it is between July and September, considered the most critical phase, the period in which the largest resources are mobilized, with 14,155 operational personnel from 3,162 teams and 3,173 vehicles available this year. a slight increase compared to 2023.

However, the season considered most critical for rural fires will feature 70 aerial resources this year, two fewer than in 2023, with the resources that will not be available at DECIR being two ‘Canadair’ planes due to difficulties in the market.

The Air Force guarantees that the 70 aerial assets for this year are all contracted.

This year, the approval and presentation of DECIR took place almost simultaneously with the first increase in resources of the year.

On Tuesday, when the device was presented, the president of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), Duarte da Costa, considered that the DECIR for 2024 is “stable and robust”.