The prime minister announced today that 11 million euros worth of works are underway across the country to carry out the national plan for the construction of fire risk interruption strips.

“Preventing the risk of fire is a mission that the State has and, now that we finally have the Court of Auditors’ visa, a number of works are already underway across the country in order to build and execute the plan,” he said. António Costa, speaking at the celebrations of the International Civil Protection Day, in Quarteira, Algarve.

In the Prime Minister’s opinion, it is up to “all citizens and every day” to act to prevent the risk of fire ”.

“It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent this risk. We cannot all expect that when the tragedy happens, we call here ‘D’El Rei’, pray to Santa Barbara or complain about the air that doesn’t arrive, the fireman who doesn’t show up, or demand from any Civil Protection agent what it is up to all of us to do it ”, he pointed out.

In the Prime Minister’s opinion, “it was very important that the whole community was aware that it was essential to make the effort to clean at the edge of the communication routes, around the houses, around each village, each village or each urban cluster ”.

“But, it is very important that things went better in 2018 and in 2019 that nobody forgets that the risk has not disappeared. That is why we have to clean the bush in order to prevent the risk of fire in 2020 ”, he pointed out.

António Costa presided today at the International Civil Protection Day ceremonies that took place in the municipality of Loulé, where he inaugurated two infrastructures of ANEPC, CREPC do Algarve, located in the city of Loulé, and the Logistical Support Base (BAL) in Quarteira.

 

The new CREPC facilities will add the command of emergency operations, civil protection and relief, the institutional and operational coordination of the regional structure of Civil Protection, the integrated command of all fire departments and the management of emergency means and resources.

 

BAL will support emergency, protection and rescue operations, with equipment storage capacity, supply and parking of reinforcement means, as well as the installation of an immediate response force from the municipal firefighters of Loulé, with relief, combat fire and medical emergency.

 

The investment in the two structures amounted to 2.6 million euros, supported by 85% by community funds, with the Câmara de Loulé secured the remaining 15%.

 

The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Internal Administration, the president of the National Civil Protection Authority, several secretaries of state, deputies and mayors.