At a General Council of the National Association of Professional Firefighters (ANBP) held today in Lisbon, Fernando Curto expressed concerns over the “lack of political will” to enforce forest underbrush prevention and clearing.
“We fear, if not certain, that there will be significant fires, which could have been prevented,” stated Curto.
“We have tall underbrush near highways, and areas with a high density of trees close to inhabited regions,” said Fernando Curto.
According to the ANBP leader, “almost nothing has been cleared, leading to a significantly increased risk of forest fires this summer.”
The situation is “very concerning, particularly near highways, motorways, and national roads, where large underbrush can be seen on the roadside, and just a cigarette or a moment of carelessness could start a fire,” he emphasized.
The ANBP criticized the lack of protocols for guiding professional firefighters in combating fires.
“This happens every year. The professional firefighters are unsure how they will participate in emergency response,” noted Fernando Curto. He suggested that municipal councils should ensure their firefighters are “available to respond to fires” without “leaving their municipalities underserved.”
The general council granted the ANBP’s board authority to urgently seek meetings with the Secretaries of State for Civil Protection and Public Administration to “resume negotiations.”
Matters of concern include “the functioning of civil protection” and the “structure and status of firefighters,” he said.
