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Situation Reports news and reviews

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Friday 29th December 2023

Good morning everyone, I hope everyone had an enjoyable and safe Christmas. Now that is behind us we focus our attention on New Year’s eve – with some celebrating at home, others out at parties, vising family and friends, or travelling overseas to celebrate. Whatever your plans are, safety is something that we should remember and pay attention to in order to ensure we have an enjoyable time.

In the lead up to the festive period there was an intensive campaign utilizing social media, and radio/television to try and drive home these messages concerning the effects of drink driving in particular and use of mobile phones and excess speed being the main causes of fatal accidents. The theme “The Best Gift is Being Present”, showing the effect on families resulting from the loss of a family member through a road accident, was in my view well thought out and appropriate.

The results are disappointing therefore, with the National Road Safety Authority recording, between 15 and 26 December, 4,852 accidents, resulting in 17 deaths, four more than in the same period last year, and more than 1,400 injuries. During the Christmas period this year there were 307 fewer accidents than in the same period of 2022. However, the total number of accidents resulted in 1,492 injuries, 137 more than in the same period last year.

Remember, the main cause of fatal accidents are: drink driving, use of mobile phones and speeding. Police will be intensifying their deployments and enforcement action over New Year’s Eve and Day focusing on drivers who break the law, putting themselves, passengers and other road users at risk.

Within the scope of Operation Security Holidays 2023/2024, the PSP, taking into account its exclusive competence in the licensing, control and supervision of explosives, has undertaken, various operations to combat the illicit sale of fireworks, so far resulting in the seizure of more than three thousand pyrotechnic articles. There are tight regulations regarding the purchase and use of fireworks in Portugal, so please follow them.

As in the lead up to the New Year, there are several scams to be wary of, including unexpected money or winnings, fake charities, dating and romance, fake buying or selling offers, jobs and investments, attempting to gain personal information, remote access scams and threats and extortion. Advice is: Do not click on links or open attachments from people you do not know; never reply or provide personal detail; use a strong password different for each account or service.

Beware that scam charity emails and websites may use logos and branding that look nearly identical to those of real charities. Always check that a website is legitimate before donating, or better yet, approach a charity organisation directly to donate or offer support.

If you are out and about attending events, we strongly advise that you plan ahead and leave plenty of time to get there, particularly if you are driving as road and parking restrictions may well be in place, especially in Lisbon and Porto. This also avoids rushing to an event with an increased risk of road accidents. Always follow the directions of authorities on the ground and, of course, do not drink and drive.  If you are attending events take extra care of your property, and beware that pickpockets do operate in some areas.

If you are passing through airports again leave plenty of time for check-in.  PSP remind travellers to not leave sight of your baggage and to store valuable items in securely. Always label luggage with your place of destination and ensure of course it is locked. Remember beforehand to check your passport has not expired!

A reminder that the Government decided to grant a day off on 2nd January to workers who perform public functions in the State, so government offices and post offices will be closed.

Whilst we enjoy ourselves with the New Year Festivities, there are many in the emergency services, who are on duty away from their families: such as nurses and doctors caring for the sick in hospital; police dealing with crime, fire-fighters and INEM dealing with road accidents; emergency personnel manning the 112 control centres; maritime police on patrol on the high seas and many, many others. Let’s give our thanks to all those in the emergency services who have worked so hard and in extremely difficult conditions putting the safety of others above their own.

It has been a very busy year for our team at Safe Communities and we look forward to the challenges 2024 will bring. I am sure there will be many. Have a great New Year.

News

Drought, fires and rising temperatures are the worst events of the year for Quercus

Lisbon, 28 December 2023 (Lusa) – Quercus (Centro Associativo do Calhau Bairro do Calhau Parque Florestal de Monsanto) chooses the drought, large fires and the rise in global temperatures as the worst environmental facts of the year and, on a positive note, highlights the creation of more protected marine areas and the mobilization of civil society.

In a note released today, the environmental association also points out expectations for 2024, highlighting the result of the climate summit, from which a final text emerged that directly alludes to the end of fossil fuels.

“It is now important to advance coherent measures towards this objective in a balanced way, respecting the capacity to renew the planet’s resources”, he considers.

From the group of the six worst environmental facts of 2023, in addition to the major fires, such as the one in Odemira, the drought and the increase in global temperatures, Quercus points to the felling of trees in the name of the energy transition and the approval, by the European Commission, of the glyphosate herbicide for another 10 years.

“This decision is surprising given the growing scientific evidence of the health risks of glyphosate, namely that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified glyphosate as carcinogenic to animals and probably carcinogenic to humans”, considers Quercus, remembering that, in Portugal, “the highest level of contamination in a sample” was detected, 30 times above the legal limit for each substance.

The wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip are also highlighted as the worst environmental events of the year, with environmentalists remembering that, to the humanitarian drama, there are added environmental impacts due to destruction in the territory, greenhouse gas emissions and consumption of resources for the war effort.

On the positive side, Quercus highlights four best environmental facts of 2023: the growing mobilization of civil society for environmental issues; the creation of more marine protected areas in the Azores; the declaration of unfavorable environmental impact of the Estoi photovoltaic plant project, in the Algarve, and the creation of the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture.

As wishes for next year, the association refers to the need to move forward with “coherent measures” to end fossil fuels, as defined at COP 28, in Dubai,

“In particular, in our country, and despite the delays in their preparation, municipal Climate Action Plans can be opportunities for this objective in processes that are as participatory and collaborative as possible”, he considers.

Among Quercus’ expectations for 2024 are also the improvement of ecosystem conservation and restoration policies, “by updating the scientific knowledge of fauna populations published in 2023” and better performance in waste management, the implementation of structural measures to face to water scarcity, especially in the south of the country.

The new Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), namely organisms obtained by new genomic techniques (NGT) and the increase in environmental litigation, with the “predictable resort to legal actions” in various matters, are also among Quercua’s expectations for the next year.

 

Azores Situation Report Friday 29th December 2023

Resident immigrants increased by 65% ​​in the last decade.

The Autonomous Region of the Azores has 5,123 resident immigrants at the end of 2022, compared to 3,341 in 2012. AIPA explains the increase with economic growth and points out that although integration is substantially better, there are still aspects that need to be corrected.

IPMA raises the rain warning in the Eastern group of the Azores to orange.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) raised the warning issued for the islands in the Eastern group of the Azores (São Miguel and Santa Maria) to orange due to the forecast of heavy rain for this Tuesday.

Recreational fisherman rescued in Serreta on Terceira Island.

A 54-year-old recreational fisherman was rescued this morning after falling overboard while fishing on foot in the Serreta area, on the island of Terceira, in the Azores, it was announced this Saturday.

According to the National Maritime Authority, the alert was given to the Maritime Search and Rescue Centre of Ponta Delgada (MRCC Delgada) late on Friday night, and elements of the local Command of the Maritime Police of Ponta Delgada were called to the location. Angra do Heroísmo and the Angra do Heroísmo Volunteer Firefighters.

The fisherman was “in an area of ​​difficult access, on a cliff about 150 meters high, showing signs of hypothermia”, says the source, adding that “the victim was stabilized in place”.

Also, according to the National Maritime Authority, the rescue was carried out by the wide-angle team of the Angra do Heroísmo Volunteer Firefighters and the fisherman was later transported to a hospital unit.

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 20th December 2023

Good morning – Well only 5 days to Christmas and whereas it is unlikely it will be a white Christmas it may well be cold in some parts of the mainland. This week we have seen the lowest minimum temperatures so far at – minus 7.1C at Sabugal in Guarda District and yesterday morning 54 IPMA Online weather stations out of a total of 135 showing temperatures at 0800 hrs at OC or below. This is especially being felt in the valleys and more sheltered areas.

The social media predictions that Portugal would experience the highest ever atmospheric pressure (which is influencing this very dry, clear and cold weather) did not come to fruition falling well short of the record of 2015 of 1054.

With such cold weather it is important to keep warm both indoors and those working outdoors. One of the greatest risks indoors is carbon monoxide poisoning and we frequently give advice on this topic. During the cold weather there are certain precautions to take when it comes to protecting from low temperatures. Many domestic accidents are due to the effect of carbon monoxide, a toxic gas which is odourless and colourless. Reminders from the ANEPC are: not to try and keep warm using appliances intended for other uses: such as grills etc… ; keep the room ventilated; not to store gas bottles in basements or near heat sources; before you go to bed or leave the house, check if you have turned off the heating equipment; avoid sleeping next to heating equipment and to Install a carbon monoxide alarm.

Turning to overseas, it has been a tragic week with the earthquake in China that has resulted in the death of over 130 people from a 6.3 Magnitude earthquake. Although not particularly high (there are an average of 150 earthquakes of Mag 6 each year) the impact would have been greater due to the fact it was very shallow (10 kilometres) and many of the buildings were poorly constructed, as we saw in the earthquakes in Morocco, Turkey and Syria earlier this year.

Certain areas of Portugal are at high risk of earthquakes and whereas most buildings these days are constructed taking into account seismic risk, older buildings are not. In the event of an earthquake of similar magnitude, there would likely be extensive damage the number of casualties depending on the time of day. Earthquakes occurring overnight tend to have a higher number of casualties. It is important therefore in planning resilient communities this matter is addressed, by providing incentives and assistance in order to improve the safety standards of older residences, as many owners (themselves probably elderly) cannot afford to do so themselves.

With a week away from Christmas a reminder to avoiding drinking a driving. The ANSR (Road Safety Authority) GNR and PSP have launched awareness campaigns of the dangers of drink driving and will be following this up with enforcement action. Another campaign the police are undertaking is the safety of business over the holiday period, by advising owners/managers particular of bars to take care of cash holdings as takings (hopefully) will likely be much higher.

 Protecting your property and its contents from thieves is another priority and there is much owners can do to give the property an “occupied feel” if you going away for a few days as well as it is not exposed to “opportunist crime” when you go out. Keeping some lights on, a radio playing music, windows not left open and of course doors closed and locked, will help reduce break-ins. Concerning lights we would advise for safety reasons not to leave Christmas Tree lights switch on when the property is occupied. Read more of our safety tips on our Facebook posts in the coming days.

Our gratitude to all the security forces and civil protection agents who have worked hard, sometimes away from their family for extended periods, in keeping us safe throughout the year. There will be many working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day attending to emergencies as well as providing vital services, ranging from health care to dealing with, traffic accidents and keeping our communities safe

Although the 12 Days of Christmas traditionally starts on 25th December Safe Communities Portugal is launching it from today in the form of its safety campaign covering both Christmas and New Year’s Eve periods. Based on the song “Twelve Days of Christmas”, the Campaign provides advice over the 12 days ending 31st December.

Our team at Safe Communities wish you ALL a very happy and Safe Christmas

News

MAI presents a “medium and long-term political agreement” on forest reform

Lisbon, 19 December 2023 (Lusa) – The Minister of Internal Administration today presented “a medium and long-term political agreement” between the main political parties on the ongoing forest reform and the fight against forest fires.

At the presentation ceremony of the final report of the group of experts that analysed the 2022 rural fires, which took place eight months after it was released, José Luís Carneiro stated that the ongoing policies for forest reform take “at least the time of a generation” and which require “a medium and long-term political agreement between the main political parties with seats in the Assembly of the Republic”.

“It is not possible to have policies for three or four years and then be permanently breaking lines of work, which has very harmful effects on the effort to spend resources”, he explained, considering that it is necessary to continue the current policy of reforming the forest.

If this “political agreement” does not happen, there is a risk, according to José Luís Carneiro, “of all the efforts that are made – and which are many and expensive – being lost and destroyed due to the lack of continuity in policies”.

In September 2022, the Government set up a panel of 32 experts and scientists to independently analyse the responses given to the large rural fires recorded in 2022, such as the fire in Serra da Estrela.

The report was released on April 13, but only today did the Government decide to make a public presentation of the conclusions and recommendations proposed by the experts, in a ceremony in which the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato, was also present.

 “The document is ready now and that was when it was possible to put the book in the public domain and what better way than to do so in the facilities and auditorium of the Ministry of Higher Education”, he said, maintaining that “the most important thing is that 12 of the approximately of 30 recommendations made by experts were incorporated into the 2023 firefighting strategy”.

Among the recommendations already introduced, José Luís Carneiro highlighted that this year “all resource projection times in the theatre of operations” were reduced, reducing re-ignitions by 50%.

Regional multidisciplinary teams were also created and training and coordination between air and ground resources were improved.

The minister also said that “there is still a lot to do”, with “the most important” being the reform of the National Firefighters School, which must “seek to incorporate the knowledge that is produced by all research centers and the knowledge produced by experts”, in addition to sharing within the framework of the European Union.

The document, published on April 13 on the website of the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires (AGIF), presents a set of recommendations in the areas of prevention, combat and organization, management of large fires and protection of populations after an analysis of fires Serra da Estrela, Murça and Vila Pouca de Aguiar Ourém, Ansião and Leiria and Albergaria-a-Velha.

In the report, experts criticized “the option of multiplying human resources” in different entities and question the mobilization of a large number of combat resources, which sometimes presents “deficient preparation or leadership”.

The experts also argued that the professionalization of volunteer firefighters should be encouraged, especially the elements that make up the Permanent Intervention Teams and command staff.

The experts also consider that the damage caused by forest fires should be calculated at the “parish scale and not the municipality scale”.

According to the document, the criteria defined by the Government to assess losses “are not adequate”, as they benefit municipalities with small areas and do not cover “fires that hit a parish in a municipality with a large surface area”.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 20th December 2023

Fishing boat sinks in the Azores, but the crew were rescued.

A fishing vessel sank on Monday night, about 12 miles south of the island of Faial, but the crew were rescued alive, said the port captain.

The vessel was partially submerged and the four crew members were already in the life rafts when they were picked up by another fishing boat that was nearby”, explained Gomes Brás, adding that the men were then taken to the port of Horta.

The vessel, registered on the island of São Miguel, where the four crew members also come from, was called “Mestre Zangão”, and was probably surprised by the waves and due to the strong wind, that was felt in the area.

In addition of the fishing boat “Manuel de Arriaga”, which helped the crew, were also involved in search and rescue operations, a lifeboat, from the port of Horta, and a “Merlin” helicopter EH101, from Lajes Air Base, on Terceira Island.

PS concerned about increase in poverty and begging.

Municipal deputies in Ponta Delgada expressed concern on Friday about the increase in situations of begging and homelessness in the historic centre of the city on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores.  They said that It is imperative that the means of combating poverty and social exclusion be found and that public policies to combat drug consumption and drug trafficking, which are revealed to be the main causes of homelessness in the municipality of Ponta Delgada are created.

Ponta Delgada Hospital Cardiology Service begins electrophysiology technique.

The Cardiology service at Hospital Divino Espírito Santo (HDES) in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, has from today the functionality of electrophysiology, which avoids sending patients to hospitals in the continent.

HDES has stated that, from today, “it now has another functionality carried out in the Cardiology service, more specifically in the Cardiovascular Intervention Unit/Hemodynamic Room”.

“It’s about of a specific area of ​​Cardiology that to date has not been installed in the Regional Health Service and which justified the sending of few dozen patients per year to central hospitals in continent”, it reads.

According to the note, the invasive electrophysiology “allows a detailed analysis of the mechanisms responsible for arrhythmias, the definition of their location and, when possible, definitive treatment using energy radiofrequency (catheter ablation) and/or cryoablation”.

“For To make this technique possible, it was necessary to acquire specific skills, namely having doctors with subspecialties in cardiac electrophysiology and cardio pneumology technicians dedicated to this area, as well as very different technical means/equipment”, explained in the note the director of the HDES Cardiology service, Dinis Martins.

The HDES Cardiology service, in conjunction with its Board of Directors and the Secretariat Regional Health Department, assures that “it has evolved and introduced over the years new techniques and procedures, equipping and enabling the Service Regional Health of the Azores for the best treatment of patients.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 20th December 2023

by Mike Evans

A very warm welcome and as this is the last report before the Festive holidays can I on behalf of all of our volunteers wish you all a very Safe Christmas and a Secure New Year.

Throughout the year we have tried to bring you the latest news and information about all things safety and security. We will continue to do this as we take a break and will return in the New year. Follow our Facebook pages for all the latest up to date news from the whole country and abroad.

As we approach the festive season please be aware that there will be more people on our roads and the dangers this brings are already showing with a tragic accident in the Algarve in the past week which saw the death of one man and injuries to three others as a car was hit by a train on a level crossing. Our sympathies go out to the victims of this accident.

If you are in need of hospital treatment over the Christmas period there will inevitably be some services that are restricted and we post details of these further in this bulletin.

Here is a round up of some of the stories from across the Algarve in the past week.

Four people in pre-trial detention for drug trafficking

Four people were in pre-trial detention for drug trafficking in the municipality of São Brás de Alportel, after five individuals were arrested on 13 December, announced the National Republican Guard (GNR). The Territorial Command of Faro, through the Criminal Investigation Unit, detained a woman and four men aged between 19 and 43 years, after an investigation that lasted just over a year.

In July of this year, 17 people had already been arrested, subject to the coercive measure of preventive detention, in addition to more than 20 thousand doses of drugs having been seized.

Meanwhile, the GNR executed four arrest warrants and 15 search warrants, 10 of which were at homes, three at vehicles and two at a prison establishment.

During these investigations, it was possible to dismantle a drug trafficking network that operated in the region, mainly in the municipalities of São Brás de Alportel, Loulé, Faro, Olhão and Tavira.

195 doses of hashish, 21 doses of cocaine, 12 doses of cannabis, a small amount of cannabis grinding, a precision scale, eleven rounds of ammunition, two knives, several pieces of gold, a television, a laptop, 12 cell phones and 8633 euros in cash.

Three women and a man aged between 23 and 77 were also charged with drug trafficking.

The five detainees were present, on December 17th, at the Judicial Court of Faro, resulting in the application of the coercive measure of preventive detention to four detainees, one woman and three men, with the other male detainee being the measure of coercion of periodic appearances at the police station in the area of ​​residence is applied to him.

Man killed as train rams car at Olhão level crossing

A man died and three people were injured after a collision between a train and a car at a level crossing in Quelfes, municipality of Olhão, on Saturday night.

According to the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, a car was rammed by a train at the Marim level crossing.

It was later confirmed that the man who had sustained serious injuries, aged 32 and of Portuguese nationality, had died in hospital. The three other people in the car, all Brazilian and aged 38, 41 and 43, sustained minor injuries.

Fisherman dies at Ponta da Carrapateira in Aljezur

A 58-year-old fisherman died this morning, December 15th, after allegedly leaving home to fish in the Ponta da Carrapateira área, in the municipality of Aljezur, with the causes of the incident unknown. , said the National Maritime Authority (AMN). ​Following an alert, from the victim’s friends, at 11:50 p.m., stating that the fisherman “had not returned from his fishing activity on foot”, searches were immediately initiated at the location by members of the local command. from the Maritime Police of Lagos, from the Volunteer Firefighters of Aljezur, supported by a drone and people who were in the area, which were interrupted in the early hours of the morning due to poor visibility , details AMN in a statement.

Search operations were resumed at 07:00, which were joined by crew members from the Sagres Lifeguard Station. The body was found this morning in an area “very difficult for people to access”, having been confirmed by the Aljezur Volunteer Firefighters drone. The victim was removed from the tidal zone and later transported by the Lifeguard Station crew to the Sagres Lifeguard Station pier, where he was declared dead by the Health Delegate.

After contact with the Public Ministry, the body will be transported to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Portimão.

The Maritime Police Psychology Office has been activated and is providing support to the victim’s family.

The Lagos Maritime Police Local Command took charge of the incident.

Drug trafficker arrested and cannabis greenhouse dismantled

A 39-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, December 13th, for drug trafficking in the municipality of Silves, he announced the National Republican Guard (GNR). The arrest was made by the Faro Territorial Command, through the Silves Criminal Investigation Center, which had been investigating the suspect for around four months.

These investigations ended with the execution of three search warrants, one at home, another in a vehicle and also in a ruined building located in São Bartolomeu de Messines.

Inside this ruined building, a cannabis greenhouse was set up, which was dismantled, in addition to seizing 24 doses of marijuana, 48 dried and harvested cannabis plants, three bottles of hashish oil, 11 syringes of hashish oil, two cell phones and two laptops.

The detainee was named a defendant and will be present at the Portimão Judicial Court.

Body found floating near fishing dock pier

The body of a 57-year-old man of Guinean nationality was found on the morning of this Thursday, December 14th, floating next to the pier of the fishing dock, announced the National Maritime Authority in Portimão. Until now, the causes of this occurrence are unknown, the alert was given at 11:20, and members of the local command of the Maritime Police of Portimão, the Volunteer Firefighters of Lagoa, the Volunteer Firefighters of Portimão were immediately activated to the scene. and INEM.

The body was detected with the help of a member of the public who was in that area and removed from the water by the Lagoa Volunteer Firefighters to the pier, where death was declared by the INEM medical team.

After being contacted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the body was transported to Portimão Hospital by the Lagoa Volunteer Firefighters.

The Maritime Police Psychology Office has been activated and is providing support to the victim’s family.

The local command of the Portimão Maritime Police took charge of the incident.

Man Arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking

A 30-year-old citizen was arrested in Lagos on suspicion of committing the crime of drug trafficking, announced the Public Security Police ( PSP). The arrest was made by the Lagos Police Station, after police investigations and collection of evidence of several drug transactions in various areas of the city , to a large number of consumers.

After the arrest, a home search and four non-home searches were carried out, where 523 doses of cocaine, 816 doses of heroin, 27 doses of hashish, four ecstasy tablets, two doses of cannabis and around four thousand euros were seized.

Various preparation and packaging material for subsequent sale to consumers was also seized. The suspect had already been convicted of drug trafficking and was brought before a Criminal Investigation Judge.

Until the New year have a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 13th December 2023

by Mike Evans

Good morning to you all as we reach the end of the year a rather sombre report has just reached our desk and shows that the number of road accidents has increased again year on year.

According to a report published by Lusa yesterday, More than 123,000 road accidents occurred on Portuguese roads this year, causing 442 deaths and 2,279 serious injuries, an increase in all accident indicators compared to the same period in 2022. Provisional data, to which the Lusa agency had access, indicate that the PSP and GNR recorded, between January 1st and December 11th of this year, 123,391 road accidents, 442 fatalities, 2,279 serious injuries and 38,548 minor injuries. Compared to the same period in 2022, there were 7,556 more accidents (6.5%), five more deaths (1.1%), 147 more serious injuries (6.8%) and 2,039 more (5.5%).

However, when compared to 2019, the reference year for monitoring the targets set by the European Commission and Portugal to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries by 2030, all road accident indicators decreased this year, with the exception of serious injuries. that has increased.

The highest number of accidents this year occurred in the districts of Lisbon, with a total of 22,170, followed by Porto (21,647), Braga (10,554), Aveiro (10,178), Setúbal (10,040) and Faro (9,306). In turn, the district with the fewest accidents was Bragança, with 1,254.

The data also shows that Porto was the district where the most fatalities were recorded, with 49, with 48 deaths occurring in Setúbal, 43 in Lisbon, 34 in Braga and 32 in Faro.

With the festive holidays approaching it is important we all make sure, if we are on the roads that we take extra care as the amount of traffic will be much higher than usual.

Now a look at some of the stories that have happened in the Region in the past week.

Drought Situation Worsened in November across the South.

According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), there was an increase in the area of ​​mainland Portugal in the weak drought class, from 12.8% in October to 19.4% in November in the southern region, covering the entire district of Faro, Beja and a large part of the district of Setúbal. According to IPMA, there are four types of drought: meteorological, agricultural, hydrological and socioeconomic.

With regard to the percentage of water in the soil, the institute states that there was an increase in the northern, central and Alto Alentejo regions, with values ​​above 80%.

In Baixo Alentejo and Algarve, some regions had values ​​between 20 and 40%.

Data from the bulletin indicate that the month of November was classified as very hot in terms of air temperature and normal in terms of precipitation (122.2 millimetres).

Last month was considered the 9th hottest in the last 93 years (hottest in 1981) and the 2nd hottest since 2000.

Ryanair Plane Makes Emergency Landing at Faro Airport

A Ryanair plane with 164 people on board departed this morning for Faro airport, after it had to make an emergency landing, due to an engine failure, a Civil Protection source revealed .

According to the same source, the plane, a Boeing 737, was flying from Manchester, in the United Kingdom, to the Spanish island of Tenerife, having been diverted to Faro en route, where it landed safely. At 9:20 am, a group of 82 operatives supported by 35 vehicles were mobilised to the location, who ended up not having to intervene, having already been demobilised.

According to information from ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, the aircraft landed safely at 9:45 am, with the airport’s emergency plan appropriate to this type of situation having been activated.

GNR Detained 29 people in Quarteira

The GNR detained 29 people in various actions to combat crime in the city of Quarteira , in the municipality of Loulé , between Thursday and Sunday, the police corporation announced.

The detainees are aged between 19 and 68 and were approached following inspection actions, in various locations in the city, with the aim of preventing and repressing crime, said the Faro Territorial Command of the GNR in a statement.

Eighteen people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and eight for driving without a legal licence, with the facts being referred to the Loulé Court, explained the same source, without mentioning the reason that led to the arrest of the remaining three. “Through these actions, the National Republican Guard intends to combat crime and strengthen the population’s sense of security, whilst also seeking to prevent criminal offences”, explained the security force.

Two Men Arrested for Theft from Vehicle

Two suspects were arrested on Tuesday, December 5th, for theft inside a vehicle and subsequent purchase of goods using stolen cards in Olhão , announced the Public Security Police (PSP). The arrest was made by the Olhão Police Station, after being warned about the misuse of stolen bank cards.

The police quickly went to the establishment where the suspect was making purchases, as he was trapped there. The PSP ended up finding out that there was another suspect who was involved in the theft and intercepted him inside another commercial establishment, hiding in the bathroom. The two suspects had in their possession several of the victim’s bank cards, as well as personal objects and purchased products, worth one thousand euros.

The suspects were subject to the coercive measure of Identity and Residence Term and periodic appearances at a police establishment, respectively.

Man Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Armação de Pêra

A 26-year-old man, suspected of drug trafficking, was arrested on Tuesday, the 5th, in Armação de Pêra, in the municipality of Silves , with the GNR seizing 344 doses of drugs, it was announced today. The arrest occurred following a complaint “regarding an illegal occupation of property, threats and theft”, and after the military detected “a strong odor” of drugs at the scene, the Territorial Command of the GNR of Faro said in a statement.

During a home search carried out by members of the Criminal Investigation Unit (NIC) of the GNR of Silves, 136 doses of cocaine, 208 of hashish, communications devices and material used to package the drug were seized.The detainee will be present at the Silves Court to be heard in the first judicial interrogation and for the application of possible coercive measures, concludes that security force. 

Man Arrested for Falsifying Identities and Moving illicit Money

The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a man suspected of aggravated document forgery, qualified fraud and money laundering, who used false identities to open bank accounts and move amounts obtained illegally. The arrest of the 45-year-old suspect was carried out outside of the act, under the scope of an investigation conducted by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) of Faro , with the collaboration of the GNR of Mértola, the PJ said in a statement.

“The detainee’s criminal activity consisted of setting up companies, which had no activity whatsoever, using several false identities, in the name of which he opened dozens of bank accounts in credit institutions based in the national territory”, said the police force. .

The same source clarified that, once the accounts were opened, they received “transfers of large amounts” that had been “obtained illicitly”, through the use of cyber attacks “commonly known as ‘man-in-the-middle’ or ‘CEO- Fraud’ (Business Email Compromise)”.

The PJ stressed that the suspect sought to conceal the illicit origin of the amounts credited and made transfers to other bank accounts, “receiving a percentage of the transactions carried out”.

During the steps that led to the identification and arrest of the suspect, investigators found and seized “significant pieces of evidence”, but are still continuing the investigation “with a view to delimiting the extent of this criminal activity”, said the Judiciary Police.

The detainee will be brought before the court for the first judicial interrogation and, at the end, will learn about any coercive measures applied, the PJ also pointed out.

PJ Arrests Suspect of Attacking Brother with Chainsaw in Odeceixe

The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a man suspected of having attacked his brother with a chainsaw, on Tuesday, in Odeceixe ( Aljezur ), causing serious injuries, it was announced today. In a statement, the PJ revealed that the attacker, a 28-year-old man, a woodcutter by profession, is charged with attempted murder.

According to the police, the attacks occurred after an argument between the two brothers, with the detainee, armed with a chainsaw, undoing the door of the container where the victim was lying, “attacking her and striking her several times with that instrument” .

The victim was treated at the Portimão Hospital, but “the severity of the injuries” led to his transfer to the Santa Maria Hospital, in Lisbon, said the police.

The man will be brought before the court to be heard in the first judicial interrogation and for the application of possible coercive measures, in an investigation supervised by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Lagos .

The operation by the Criminal Investigation Department (DIC) of Portimão of the PJ had the collaboration of the GNR Territorial Post of Lagos.

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 13th December 2023

Good morning. I would like to highlight in this weekly feature some of the excellent work undertaken by police. These cases show examples of thorough and painstaking investigations followed by well-coordinated and planned operations, resulting in seizures and recovery of stolen property and the arrest of those involved.

We start with yesterday – The case involves a mega-operation conducted by the Judicial Police against drug trafficking in the capital which resulted in the arrest of one of the biggest drug traffickers in the capital, Heitor Brandão, in the cafe he owned at the time of his arrest. The detainee is considered by the authorities to be one of the biggest Portuguese traffickers, as a result of the many kilos of drugs he trafficked into national territory. We are awaiting more details.

Another case, also yesterday, involved a mega GNR operation resulting in the arrest of 12 persons in Braga and Porto for the theft of over 100 vehicles. During the investigation, the GNR managed to return 27 vehicles to their owners. Ten men and two women were arrested on Sunday, in the districts of Porto and Braga. According to the GNR, they are suspected of stealing more than 100 vehicles, with an estimated value of three million euros. According to the press release, the action culminated in the execution of 12 arrest warrants, 54 search warrants, and 10 preventive seizures of bank accounts.

A different type of theft – but one that causes heavy losses to olive producers. The GNR in a more protracted operation have recovered more than 10 tonnes of olives and detrained 62 suspects of theft of agricultural products. These are the results of the GNR operation aimed at the present harvest season in the district of Beja. The data, indicated in a statement by the Beja Territorial Command of the GNR on Monday, relate to the period between June 26th and December 4th of the “Campo Seguro 2023” operation, which is still taking place in this Alentejo region. According to the GNR, in this period, 199 awareness-raising actions were carried out, in which 595 people were covered and 376 officers were involved.

A big thank you, therefore, to the security forces.

Turning now to the subject of fuel management (land cleaning). A research project in Coimbra has concluded that there is no significant difference in fire behaviour between managed and unmanaged areas close to infrastructure, and revealed a lack of scientific support for the current fuel management policy (Land cleaning).

Joaquim Sande Silva, who coordinated the InduForestFire research project, together with João Paulo Rodrigues, stated “We were unable to prove, in statistical terms, that there is a statistically significant difference between managed areas and unmanaged areas [next to infrastructure],” For the researcher and professor at the Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra, the review of the legislation around fuel management bands that came out in 2018, after the large fires that had occurred the previous year, “has not produced with any scientific basis, nor experts in the field were not even consulted to produce this legislation.”

According to the researcher, the legislation currently in place forced “highly debatable work”, with trees of high heritage value being “cut down”, without any scientific support that could demonstrate that these same trees would be a threat to the safety of people and infrastructure. In the forestry component, the team focused on fuel management and the forest composition around infrastructures, “with the backdrop of the legislation currently in force and in the process of being reviewed and amended”. We await the outcome of this and how the results will impact on the fuel management laws currently in place and will monitor closely.

Lastly the Festive period for many means good food, good drink and great company. In the lead up to, and during, the festive period, however, we inevitable see an increase in alcohol related crime, especially drink driving and dangerous situations that people have little control over, resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol. The ANSR, GNR and PSP will be undertaking various operations to try and help people have and enjoyable and Safe Christmas and New Year’s festive period. We are promoting these through social media and newsletter etc., and as you all to follow the advice being given.

With that our team wishes you a very happy week ahead.

News

International operation detects 16 infractions for timber trafficking in Portugal

Lisbon, 12 December 2023 (Lusa) – Portuguese authorities registered 16 infractions linked to illegal timber trafficking in an international operation to combat networks involved in environmental crime, smuggling and tax evasion, among other crimes, it was announced today.

The “Madeira de Lei 2.0 2023” operation took place between the 13th and 17th of November and included the participation of the GNR, through the Nature and Environment Protection Service (SEPNA), the PSP, the Tax and Customs Authority (AT), the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) and the Maritime Police, reads a statement released today.

According to the statement, the inspection actions were encouraged by Europol and El PAcCTO (cooperation program between Europe and Latin America, based on assistance against organized transnational crime) and carried out within the scope of the Convention on International Trade in Species of Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

In addition to Portugal, they involved security forces and services from Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain and aimed to combat networks involved in environmental crime, illegal logging, smuggling, tax evasion, money laundering money and document fraud.

Of the 16 infractions for illegal timber trafficking detected in Portugal, five occurred due to lack of registration in the CITES national register and another five due to lack of registration and data recording in the Integrated Electronic Waste Registration System (SIRER), three due to lack of registration for the commercialization of exotic woods, two due to lack of registration as a wood commercialization operator and one due to lack of annual CITES endorsement.

29 infractions were also recorded for other reasons, namely the transport of goods and violation of the highway code.

The statement adds that, of the 213 inspection actions carried out, 108 were carried out on operators of trade and transformation of wood and wood products, 90 on transporters of wood and wood products and 15 on containers present in sea ports.

The operation also included the collaboration in certain inspection actions in the Districts of Braga, Porto and Santarém, from an expert from the Brazilian Federal Police in wood identification and forest information analysis.

At an international level, the entities highlight that, out of a total of 226 inspection actions, wood from Myanmar (formerly Burma) was seized, worth €12,000, and wood from Brazil worth €67,000.

“The illegal timber trade is an abominable practice that involves the devastation of an area of ​​forest equivalent to a football field every two seconds around the world. The illegal timber trade depletes natural resources in countries of origin and has a direct impact on deforestation and, consequently, climate change,” noted Europol.

The illicit timber trade is one of the most financially profitable transnational criminal activities, generating almost 6.5 billion euros annually.

Various types of wood – such as teak, rosewood, ipê and Pernambuco – are highly sought after in European countries, where they are used for various purposes, including the creation of ornaments and construction in general.

Organized criminal groups mask the origin of wood through falsifying documents and bribery to get through customs controls, which is why this crime includes numerous environmental crimes, illegal logging, smuggling, document fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 13th December 2023

President of the Republic schedules regional elections for February 4th.

The President of the Republic announced the dissolution of the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Azores and scheduled early regional elections for the 4th of February, a decision that received a favourable opinion from the Council of State.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa made this announcement through a note on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic on the Internet, which reads that the Council of State, heard today, “gave a favourable opinion, unanimously among voters” to the dissolution.

Previously, on the 30th of November, the President of the Republic heard the parties represented in the Azorean parliament, following the implementation of the regional budget for 2024.

Government of the Azores allocates 7.5 million euros to the Azores Tariff in 2024

The Regional Government of the Azores approved the allocation of a budget of 7.5 million euros for the Azores Tariff, in 2024, a higher amount than initially foreseen in previous years.

Created in June 2021, the Azores Tariff allows residents of the archipelago to travel by plane between islands for a maximum value of 60 euros, round trip.

In 2022, the Azorean executive budgeted a maximum amount of 6 million euros for this measure, but ended up increasing it, at the end of the year, to 7.1 million euros.

For this year, 6.5 million euros were initially budgeted, but the amount has already been increased to 8.5 million euros.

The renewal of the subsidy for inter-island transport of sick pets was also approved, which, in 2024, remains set at 50% of the final amount of the price charged by the concessionaire of the air transport service.

Many people still follow tradition in the Azores and buy natural Christmas trees.

Many people still go to Campo de São Francisco, in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, to buy the traditional cryptomeria tree, which fuels Christmas with its aroma and rivals artificial trees.

Like a pine tree, cryptomeria is more expensive than an artificial tree, but many Azoreans prefer to maintain tradition and have a natural Christmas tree at home

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Thursday 7th December 2023

Good morning everyone. The 3rd December marked the International Day of persons with disabilities.  More than 1.3 billion people experience significant disability today, which represents 16% of the global population. Many persons with disabilities die earlier, are at increased risk of developing a range of health conditions, and experience more limitations in everyday functioning than the rest of the population. Persons with disabilities are often disproportionally affected by disasters and have different and uneven levels of resilience and capacity to recover.

Many are socially or logistically isolated and lack access to evacuation warnings and appropriate transportation for themselves, for those who care for them and any medical equipment necessary for their well-being. When we consider and take action concerning disaster preparedness, be it rural fires or flooding we can do our part by ensuring that family members those we know with disabilities are also prepared. We can do much to help them.

Turning to the subject of using phones whilst which despite being a dangerous practice is the cause of many serious and fatal road accidents. In Portugal, despite the results obtained in the last two decades, on average, 650 people lose their lives on the road each year. A number far from the only acceptable number: ZERO.

The temptation to respond to calls and notifications from your cell phone is the cause of many accidents, whilst driving. Texting whilst driving is the most dangerous distraction. Campaigns being conducted by the ANSR, GNR and PSP emphasise that: Using a cell phone while driving increases the likelihood of having a car accident by four times; at 50 km/h, looking at your cell phone for 3 seconds is the same as driving a distance of 42 meters blindfolded, the equivalent of a line of 10 cars and, using a cell phone while driving increases reaction time to unforeseen situations greater than the effect of a blood alcohol level of 0.8 g/l. It begs the question therefore why would anyone use their phone whilst driving given these facts?

To reduce the risk while driving and avoid this dangerous distraction, opt for one of the following strategies: Turn off your cell phone, or activate silent mode; place the cell phone in the glove compartment or in a place that does not allow access; turn on voice messages so people can leave messages while you travel; stop at an authorized and safe location to check or return urgent calls; avoid, whenever possible, using hands-free mode and take the initiative to say that you will call back later, whenever you realize that the person you are calling is driving. Fines range from €250 to €1250, driving ban from 1 to 12 months and 3 points deduction on licence.

With the winter season upon us there is a bigger demand on heating appliances and other equipment used for keeping us warm at this time of year. It is also a time when there is an increase in household fires. Many electrical fires can be prevented by following some simple electricity safety tips. These include checking electrical wires for wear and tear – replace any that are damaged; avoid overloading plug/power sockets; checking that you’re using the correct wattage in all your fixtures and appliances and switching off and unplug Christmas them before you go to bed or going out.

Whether you own or rent your home, it’s important to know the signs of a potential electrical problem. Look out for scorch marks, flickering lights, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow or circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reason. These could all be signs of loose or dangerous wiring. If in doubt get them checked by a qualified electrician; you are within your rights to ask this of your landlord if you are a tenant.

We congratulate the organisers and volunteers who support The Food Bank’s campaign against Hunger who collected almost 2,300 tonnes of food from last Friday to Sunday, 10% more than in the same period last year. The president of FPBACF Isabel Jonet, recalled that there are more and more people experiencing serious financial difficulties: “When people ask for help with eating, it is when all other requests for help have been exhausted. It’s not easy to ask for help with eating.” There are around two million people who live on less than 591 euros per month remembering that half of these people live on less than 224 euros. A most worthy cause.

Our team wishes you a safe week ahead

News

Lisbon – Earthquake Emergency Response Planning

Lisbon, 05 Dec 2023 (Lusa) – The organized response of emergency services to an earthquake can take up to around 72 hours, which is why the Municipal Civil Protection Service (SMPC) of Lisbon is working with parish councils to plan relief.

According to Margarida Castro Martins, director of the SMPC in Lisbon, the experience of other earthquakes suggests that it is estimated that the organized response of the emergency services “may take up to around 72 hours”, that is, three days, and that in this period 95 % of the help is provided by the population, family, neighbours and friends.

The person responsible, who was speaking at an initiative promoted by the association Lisboa E-Nova – Lisbon Energy-Environment Agency, on “Local Emergency Planning”, explained that the city council is thus preparing with the parish councils the prevention and response to the occurrence of an earthquake and ‘tsunami’.

This takes into account that no one knows the territory and the populations better than the parish councils, their workers and their residents.

The SMPC leader highlighted that the seismic risk in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) is considered “high to very high” and that the basis of the capital’s municipality’s response is the Civil Protection Special Emergency Plan for Seismic Risk in AML and neighbouring municipalities.

The Lisbon municipality, with 24 parishes and 545,796 inhabitants, has Lumiar as the most populous parish, with 46,334 residents, and Misericórdia as the least populous, with 9,658 residents, who naturally have “different realities”, and only Local Units of Civil Protection (ULPC) in the parishes of Alcântara (2016), Misericórdia (2020) and Penha de França (2021).

The municipality is preparing local emergency plans in the parishes of Avenidas Novas, Beato, Belém, Campo de Ourique, and updating those of Arroios and Olivais.

In addition to seismic risk plans, the municipality is also promoting an evacuation plan for the riverside area in the event of a ‘tsunami’, with a warning and alert system, following an earthquake.

The municipality already has two sirens installed, in Praça do Império, in the parish of Belém, and in Ribeira das Naus, in the parish of Santa Maria Maior, and has two more planned for 2024, in Doca de Santos, (Alcântara) and Estação de Santos (Estrela), foreseeing at least six more sirens in riverside parishes, by 2026.

The national director of risk prevention and management at the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), Carlos Mendes, presented the work carried out on the seismic risk assessment in AML, which is also used for the plan for the Algarve region.

The official also highlighted that in these types of events “the first response is mainly a proximity response”, which “often is not even carried out by organized relief structures” and that, in the first hours, “citizen mutual aid mechanisms” operate mainly. .

The emergency plan for AML and neighbouring municipalities involves more than a hundred entities “for a coordinated response” to an earthquake situation, and in the case of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale, means of support from districts of outside the area, and the definition of runways for international assistance, namely the air bases of Monte Real and Beja, or Sintra and Montijo.

International support mechanisms can come from France, Spain and Morocco, but Carlos Mendes noted that, in the case of an earthquake like the one in 1755, Spain and Morocco could also be affected, and therefore help will have to be provided within the framework of other European countries.

The Lisboa E-Nova session, according to Eduardo Silva, from the organization, despite some technical problems, aimed to raise awareness of the seismic risk in the city of Lisbon and in AML, with the aim of guaranteeing a culture of prevention, urgent to anticipate not only “the capacity to respond, but also the way in which the response is given”, in a situation of possible catastrophe.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 6th December 2023

by Mike Evans

A very good day to you all. As we enter the last month of 2023 and the Christmas and New Year festivities it is an opportune time to remind everyone that celebrating the season comes with a lot of risks if you drink and drive. Safe Communities in association with the Friends of the Sao Bras de Alportel Museum held an event with the aim of the gathering was to learn more about the work of the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) and the Autoridade Nacional de Segurança Rodoviária (ANSR) (National Road Safety Authority) over the Christmas and New Year festive period. There is a nationwide campaign on safe driving about to start on Television and across the media with the message, “it is better to be late than not arrive”

The aim is to reduce the number of deaths on the roads across the holiday period and there will be a large presence of the police on our roads over the next few weeks.

Now a look at some of the stories that have happened in the Algarve in the past week.

PSP detains 14 people in the last week in the region

Last week, the PSP detained 14 people in operations carried out in the Faro District Command area , which encompasses the 16 municipalities of the Algarve, most of them for road crimes, the security force announced . In the period between November 24th and 30th, nine arrests were made for crimes linked to compliance with the highway code, including “four for driving under the influence of alcohol and five for lack of legal licence to drive”, stated the same source in a statement.

The PSP clarified that one arrest was also made for crimes against authority, another for crimes against property (theft and theft) and three judicial arrest warrants were served for drug trafficking, which resulted in the seizure of 220 doses, mostly cocaine and hashish, completed by the PSP.

The security force also noted that it carried out 17 road inspection operations in the main urban centres of the Algarve in the same period, with 1,205 vehicles being inspected”, and carried out radar speed checks on 1,164 vehicles, of which 12 were found to be speeding over the limit.

AFA and Food Bank renew partnership to help those most in need

The Algarve Football Association (AFA) renews, for the fourth consecutive year, its partnership with the Banco Alimentar Contra a Fome do Algarve and is promoting the collection of non-perishable food items to help those most in need, it was announced. Food can be delivered until December 18th at the AFA headquarters, at Complexo Desportivo da Penha, in Faro, from Monday to Friday, between 9:30 am and 6:00 pm.

In the last two campaigns, the AFA raised more than 570 kilos of food for needy families in the region, with the contribution of clubs and affiliated referee groups, sports agents, partners and other communities. All donations will later be delivered, as usual, to the Food Bank warehouses in Faro .

 

Drought Warning for The Algarve still Dire

The President of Águas do Algarve, António Eusébio, acknowledged that “there is a huge lack of water” in the region and expressed concern for the near future, since water scarcity is the most critical ever. António Eusébio, who participated in the National Meeting of Water Management Entities (ENEG), in Gondomar, described a critical scenario in the dams of the Algarve, which as a whole do not exceed around 56 cubic hectometres (hm3).

“The Algarve needs more than 115 hm3, not for human consumption, which uses 70 to 75 hm3, but for all other necessary purposes. Looking at this scenario, we are going to get less than 10 hm3 from groundwater, there is a lot of water left to go beyond the year 2024”, stated António Eusébio.

In accordance with the person responsible, the Odeleite dam currently has around 26 hm3, after the input of around 10.5 hm3 with the October rains, the Odelouca dam has 8.8 hm3, which added another 500 thousand cubic metres at the time.

In Bravura, the situation is more critical, with the dam close to the dead volume level, a situation that has already happened this year. In Funcho, the water level is around 11 million cubic metres.

Despite the country being at the beginning of the wet period, António Eusébio assumes that the Algarve is experiencing “one of the most critical situations ever in terms of water scarcity” and is concerned with “what might happen”.

For several years, an investment effort has been made to overcome these constraints, now reinforcing an allocation of €170 million from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). The joint plan to mitigate the effects of drought in the region estimates that it will be possible to achieve around five hm3 in agriculture and two in public supply by reusing this water resource.

On the other hand, the desalination plant will produce 16 million cubic metres of freshwater per year.

To these measures are added the capture of the dead volume of the Odeleite dam – fro m450 litres per second and the capture of the Guadiana River.

However, despite large investments, these measures represent around 62 million cubic metres and may not be sufficient if the course of climate change is not reversed.

The person in charge admits, despite every effort that’s being made to meet deadlines, it will be difficult to complete some of these investments by 2026 – such as the desalination plant in Guadiana.

Over a 10-year period, António Eusébio anticipates that other investments of the same order of magnitude will be necessary, including a new desalination plant.

The administrator who participated this afternoon in a round table, which discussed the circular economy combating the threat of climate change, admitted that “measures a little more aggressively in other sectors””, given the critical situation in which the region finds itself.

At the start of ENEG, the vice-president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), José Pimenta Machado admitted that the water shortage in the Algarve is the “worst ever” and if this scenario continues, in early 2024 it may be necessary to impose limits on consumption.

New water point in Loulé will support firefighting

The construction of the water point and its access path was made with local natural materials. Through the transfer of a plot of land by an owner, and in a joint work with the Association of Forest Producers of Serra do Caldeirão, the City Council of Loulé created a new water point next to the Miradouro do Caldeirão (Sítio do Feitoso), in the parish of Ameixial, informed the municipality.

This structure, located in a retention basin of 6 hectares, with a size of flooded area of 1750m2 and an average height of 5 metres, reinforces the support for air and land means, falling within the Integrated Rural Fire Management System.

The construction of this water point and its access path was made with local natural materials. The work contemplated the creation of crossing zones to safeguard the crossing of combat vehicles, reads the note. The Municipality of Loulé wants to pursue “a concerted strategy in favour of the defence of the forest and that also involves the creation of structures that allow to make the territory more resilient and prepared to respond to situations such as forest fires”.

Help the homeless in the Algarve

Algarvian days may be filled with sunshine, but the nights are now starting to draw in and overnight temperatures dropping, with much colder weather still to come.

Please spare a thought for the homeless men and women who have no option but to sleep on the streets, the numbers of which (according to the Red Cross Portugal) have increased due to unemployment, rising living costs and high rental rates.

In 2019 after a chance encounter with a homeless man at a local petrol station, Anita van Huson started a small campaign to help the homeless organising a Christmas gift of a new sleeping bag and welfare package. By 2021 the campaign had grown, reliant on the generosity of public donations and a few volunteers Anita was able to distribute 159 sleeping bags and welfare packages.

This year, wanting to replicate the 2021 campaign success, we have been in touch with active homeless associations (Red Cross, C.A.S.A, soup kitchens etc) across the Algarve (Lagos – Tavira) to determine how many homeless would benefit from this Christmas bag and package campaign. Times have most definitely got harder and we already have 200 sleeping bag requests with this anticipated now to rise to as many as 250 bags once we hear back from all associations involved. Our primary goal is to distribute a sleeping bag to everyone in need. If we have excess funds to enable everyone to also get a welfare package then that would be a bonus! If any of our readers would like to help, here is how you can do it.

Financial support – cash/paypal/bank transfer to enable us to purchase suitable sleeping bags – compact, >1 kg weight (to ensure warmth) – on average €25 per bag.

2) DONATE – buy suitable sleeping bag(s) or provide excellent quality 2nd hand ones and deliver them to us for distribution.

How companies can help –

3) As above or consider sponsoring the bulk purchase of other essential items for the welfare packages – e.g. 200-250 fleece-lined hats, gloves etc

This year’s campaign is being coordinated by Eve Clifton – please email eacalgarve@gmail.com or call (+351) 932 755 866 for more information and how to donate.

Thank you for reading this report and if you haven’t already done so make sure you subscribe to our regular newsletter by going to our website: www.safecommunitieportugal.com