Portugal in a contingency situation as of this Monday. Know how actions
In a contingency situation, in which mainland Portugal will enter at midnight, it implies the reinforcement of the fire department’s device with a contracting of up to 100 new teams, among other measures.
According to a note from the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), released today, a declaration of the final contingency situation at 23:59 must be “prolonged Friday if necessary” and “does not exclude the adoption of other measures that may result from the permanent monitoring of the situation”.
The declaration of the contingency situation was decided due to weather forecasts for the next few days, “which point to the worsening risk of rural fire”, reads the note.
On Saturday, the Minister of Internal Administration, José Luís Carneiro, said that this is the first time that Civil Protection has resorted to the figure of the contingency situation in these circumstances.
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“This declaration results from the emergency of the special alert state of the national authority and civil protection [ANEPC]due to the worsening of conditions at the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera [IPMA], with much of the mainland at high, very high and maximum fire risk levels. Also consider what hangs over the operational device and the need for preventive and special measures to react to risks”, is a reference in the note.
Also according to the statement from the MAI, the declaration of the contingency situation implies “immediate activation of all emergency and civil protection plans at the different territorial levels”, the transition to the special red level alert state, of the Special Emergency Device Fighting Rural Fires (DECIR), for all districts, with new mobilization of all available means, and “strengthening the fire department’s device with the contracting of equipment up to 100, through the availability of fire departments”.
There will also be an operation to respond to the degree of readiness of the PSP, with reinforcement of means for surveillance, control and control, “considering for the purpose authorized the interruption of the operating license and suspension of days off and rest periods “.
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The degree of protection of public health, emergency medical equipment and social support will also be increased and there will be protection of “forest protection agents, national forest body and nature watchers who are part of the prevention and prevention device” against fires. .
There will also be a reinforcement of the service capacity 12 and the service is foreseen for other service functions or the justification of absences of workers, from the public or private sector, who perform cumulations of volunteer firefighter, between.
Within the scope of the declaration of contingency situation, provided for in the declaration of Civil Protection Bases, measures of an exceptional nature will also be presented, such as changing access, circulation and permanence within forest spaces, indication of the realization and exhibition of leftovers. operation with protection for all work on machinery resources, with the exception of those associated with rural firefighting situations.
It is still prohibited to carry out work in rural areas with metal blades or disks, brush cutters, shredders and machines with blades or front shovel and the use of fireworks.
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In the MAI note, it is also mentioned that the Ministry of National Defense, “through the Armed Forces, responded to the requests of the ANEPC military means and the armed forces to the national force system, depending on existing availabilities”.
In addition, ANEPC will issue a warning to the population, by SMS, about the danger of rural fire.
“No civil protection reserve and private entities are obliged to continental protection terms, to civil protection territories, to civil protection entities, to pay attention to civil protection authorities, such as civil orders, guidelines and guidelines that are addressed to them. . , corresponding to the refusal to comply with the crime of disobedience”, it is added.
Until midnight, the territory of mainland Portugal is on alert, decreed on Friday, the lowest level of response to disaster situations provided for in the Basic Law on Civil Protection.