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Algarve |
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Fire fighting and safety plans
• 08 May 2008 •
 THE Interior Minister, Rui Pereira, came to the Algarve last week to present the government strategy to fight forest fires in Portugal during the next summer.
Pereira was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, José Miguel Medeiros, at a presentation which took place in Lagos, as part of a series of visits they are making to all districts to explain to local authorities the proposals for this year’s measures in respect of the prevention and combat of forest fires, especially during the critical summer period from July 1 till September 15.
Next summer there will be 56 aircraft at the fire-fighters’ disposal, comprising 35 helicopters and 14 airplanes, together with two amphibious tanker planes and five new helicopter tankers. Of the 56 fire- fighting aircraft, nine helicopters have been purchased by the Portuguese state and the rest will be on lease from private companies. In terms of fire-fighters, besides local fire departments, there will also be the GNR's ‘Group of Intervention, Protection and Rescue’ (GIPS), specially prepared for front-line intervention and prevention. Besides the Algarve, the GIPS teams are present in 10 other Portuguese districts and have 720 staff available all year round for fire-fighting.
The Minister also announced the reinforcement of Police officers for next summer in the Algarve. Pereira guaranteed that the Government will do all that is possible to increase safety in the region during the summer high-tourists season. Without going into details of how many new Police officers will be deployed in the Algarve this summer, the Minister said the planned reinforcements will bring the number police officers in the region up to a level considered necessary.
“We are studying which are the necessities, to guarantee the safety of the local Algarve population, as well as that of tourists who visit the region and I can assure you that we will do our best to maintain high levels of security in this area,” Rui Pereira said.
The minister also stated that the government plans to take 4,500 new Police officers into service over the next year and to supply PSP and GNR police with new equipment, including 1,000 new police cars. |  Return to Top
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