The Fénix25 exercise involved around 30 operatives from the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), the Lisbon Volunteer Firefighters, the Municipality of Lisbon, the Portuguese Red Cross, the Air Force, the National Republican Guard (GNR), the Public Security Police (PSP), the Municipal Police, the Special Civil Protection Force, and the regiment of Lisbon Firefighters, in a scenario of missing persons following an earthquake.
“The entire exercise serves not only to test our capabilities but also to make the different civil protection agents more flexible, creating an uninterrupted response for when necessary, so we are more prepared to assist, in this case, the people of Lisbon,” said Colonel Tiago Lopes, commander of the Portuguese Army’s emergency military support regiment, who led the exercise.
The operatives involved faced an area inaccessible to vehicles, requiring “victims” to be removed from the Cova do Ladrão ravine on stretchers pulled by ropes, to then be assisted on-site in an ambulance.
Before the rescue, it was necessary to locate the two missing persons in a dense bush area, and the task was aided by two search and rescue specialists: two dogs from the police’s special unit operational canine group.
The Air Force ensured uninterrupted communication between all involved participants.
“We are employing an airfield engineering detachment, working in the scenario to open communication routes with rescue means near Monsanto,” indicated Captain Hélder Lima of the Portuguese Air Force command.
Today’s drill took place as part of the annual Fénix exercise, held since 2018, to test military and civil response capabilities to a “large magnitude” earthquake scenario in the Lisbon area.
Fénix25 concludes on Friday, having involved more than 300 operatives.
