The Minister of Internal Affairs said today that the deployment of two aircraft to fight fires in Castelo Branco, under the European Civil Protection Mechanism (RescEU) “is especially relevant”.
“This moment is especially important because a year ago we started working in Brussels with the interior ministers to reinforce the resources of the European Civil Protection Mechanism in order to anticipate and preposition them,” José Luís Carneiro told reporters at the Castelo Branco airfield, where he and the Minister of National Defense went to visit the aerial firefighting resources funded by the European Union under the European Civil Protection Mechanism (RescEU).
“What’s happening here today [Castelo Branco], with the support of the Ministry of National Defence, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority and the Castelo Branco City Council, (is that) we’ve been able to have two aircraft that are 75% funded by the European Union and are working primarily for the country’s needs, but which are also prepositioned in Castelo Branco to support the European effort, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, insofar as we have a bilateral Civil Protection agreement (with Spain) that provides for the mobilization of means and forces,” said the minister.
These resources from the European firefighting air fleet – a pair of Fire Boss amphibious aircraft – will be stationed in Portugal as a reserve to provide faster support to the Portuguese and Spanish authorities in case of need.
They involve an investment of around 2.5 million euros, 75% of which is funded by Brussels, and will enable Portugal to have aircraft integrated into RescEU for the first time.
Portugal is one of several EU countries with European air resources deployed to reinforce the rapid response capacity to rural fires at this time of year, along with ground resources which, in Portugal’s case, come from Finland.
“In previous years, we have benefited from other member states and now, with the financial support the EU has given us, we can say that we are ready to help each other face these threats and risks,” he said.
The minister also said that whenever support is needed, the European mechanism is activated.
“The country that needs support notifies the mechanism, which contacts the national civil protection services and, depending on their willingness to provide these resources, they will be mobilized for European needs,” he said.
José Luís Carneiro also pointed out that at the moment, “the planned resources are practically at full capacity”, adding that it is now necessary to raise awareness among the Portuguese.
“The air, land and human resources are very important, but let me tell you: it’s the lock on the door of a house that has already been broken into because they act when the fires are already raging,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of the safe village and safe agglomerations instruments, which now number more than 2,300 across the country.
“There has been a growth effort that should be praised and this effort is now the subject of evaluation and various academic studies. We need to look at the conclusions of this evaluation so that we can take another leap forward in these experiments in self-protection by local communities,” he said.
“There has been an effort to grow, there is an effort to consolidate and the aim is to then be able to look forward to new growth, which has to rely on the very active involvement of town and parish councils,” he concluded.
