The municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão is prepared to face the season of greatest fire risk with a reinforced team of operatives and resources.
The mayor, Mário Passos, gave this assurance this morning at the presentation of the Forest Surveillance Programme, assuring that the territory is increasingly capable of responding to the challenges posed during the most critical phase of the fires in Portugal, the Delta phase, which begins this Monday and ends on 30 September.
"From year to year, we have more and more resources and conditions so that we can fight forest fires almost instantly," Mário Passos said today.
Due to climate change, the municipality's concern about fires has become constant. That's why, throughout the year, regardless of the stage of the firefight, Famalicense is prepared to respond to, suppress and manage these phenomena. In more critical periods, such as the one that is beginning today, fixed surveillance is reinforced with mobile and armed surveillance - with means equipped with tools to intervene quickly in the early stages of the fires.
Thus, for the next two months, the Municipal Surveillance and Fire Suppression Support Unit is made up of a video surveillance system, 12 operatives, three light vehicles with first intervention kits, a tractor, a backhoe and three forestry implements. In addition to this group, there are five Forest firefighters and a light vehicle with a first intervention kit during periods of heightened alert.
According to Civil Defence councillor Ricardo Mendes, the video surveillance system, made up of 12 cameras, can "detect fires all over the municipality".
As well as monitoring and supporting the suppression of fires, the municipal system is also involved in the integrated management of these phenomena, which includes the conservation of the forestry road network and forestry actions.
As of today, the municipal fire brigade will also be able to count on the command and communications vehicle, which was presented during the meeting. This Monday also marks the second anniversary of the inauguration of the Civil Defence Campus.