The National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) and the Safe Communities Portugal (SCP), a civil society organization that promotes awareness-raising initiatives in the fields of security and help with the English-speaking community residing or visiting the Algarve, have decided to join forces in order to provide information on the risk of forest fires and measures to be adopted if confronted with a fire to the English-speaking citizens who are visiting Portugal and our rural areas.

The materialized initiative in preparing a leaflet ‘Fire Safety in Rural Areas Tourists’.

Aware of the role and value that the information citizens have in building safer and more resilient communities, both institutions joined forces preparing a brochure in English with general information, useful advice and self-protection measures that are intended to provide tourists who visit us a more pleasant and profitable enjoyment of outdoor activities in contact with nature, such as camping, the caravan, walking, mountaineering, cycling, etc.

Francisco Grave Pereira, President of the ANPC, said that the position of Safe Communities Portugal is “illustrative of the enormous civic sense of the organization in civil society that reflects the careful attention it attaches to the safety and welfare of not only British visitors but, as the brochure features a wider target audience, this includes citizens of other nationalities and English speakers.”

David Thomas, President SCP, said that “since we are receiving more and more visitors in this country who engage in multiple and varied outdoor activities in contact with nature, it is important that they are aware of the preventive measures and precautions to take in order to be able to contribute to protect and defend the forests against fire “.

Besides the brochure that will be distributed in numerous public places further information is available either on site of the ANPC (www.prociv.pt) or at the site of SCP (www.safecommunitiesportugal.com).

The notice can be downloaded here