Alonso Miguel stresses importance of proximity, prevention and strategic investment in Civil Protection in the Azores - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, highlighted the strategic importance of the proximity between the regional Civil Protection system and the Azorean population. He advocated that prevention, citizen empowerment and increased confidence in the system are crucial pillars for ensuring an effective, coordinated and resilient response to emergencies. 

The statements were made in Angra do Heroísmo, during the International Civil Defence Day celebrations, an initiative promoted by the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service (SRPCBA). The event brought together 22 agents and organisations in the regional Civil Protection system to demonstrate resources, share technical knowledge, and engage with the community.

On that occasion, the government official stressed that "it is essential to make the community aware of the capabilities available in the Region and to continuously promote people's engagement with the regional civil protection system." In this context, he added that "a truly effective response to emergencies depends not only on the operational resources available, but also on the level of preparation, information and involvement of citizens."

"Civil protection begins with each one of us. Building a safer society requires a culture of shared responsibility, where every citizen is aware of the risks, knows how to take action and plays an active role in prevention," he stressed.

The initiative was an opportunity to showcase operational resources and capabilities. It also promoted a wide range of awareness-raising activities, with this edition focusing particularly on earthquakes and collapsed structures, a subject of particular relevance in an archipelago territory marked by specific geological features and exposure to various natural phenomena.

Throughout the day, practical sessions that included the preparation of emergency kits, basic first aid, earthquake drills and demonstrations of intervention scenarios in collapsed structures, giving the population direct contact with the technical and operational procedures adopted by rescue teams.

The event was attended by about 1,300 visitors, mostly children and young people from daycare centres, kindergartens, free time occupation centres and educational establishments on Terceira Island. According to the Regional Secretary, this "represents a very positive step in terms of the involvement of the educational community and the importance of providing training to new generations in safety and self-protection."

Alonso Miguel emphasised that this commitment to education is one of the main priorities of the regional strategy, stating that "starting with schools means investing in the future of the Region, as it means shaping more aware, better prepared and more resilient citizens." In this regard, he emphasised the structuring role of projects such as "Civil Protection Clubs," "Learning to Rescue," and "Educating for Civil Protection." These initiatives involve thousands of students across the archipelago every year and have consistently contributed to raising levels of civil protection literacy.

The government official also recalled that civil protection has been a clear priority for the Government. He emphasised that "the Regional Government has invested more than €60 million in the regional civil protection system over the last five years, with the clear aim of strengthening safety and emergency response conditions for the population, while also modernising the system structurally."

“This is a very significant investment, which has enabled us to bolster the pre-hospital emergency medical system, outfit fire brigades with essential equipment, renew the fleets of rescue and fire-fighting vehicles, improve firefighters' salaries, invest strongly in the qualification and training of operational staff and, simultaneously, improve the population's literacy in civil protection matters," he stressed.

For Alonso Miguel, the constant upgrading of material resources must go hand in hand with the consolidation of a culture based on prevention. In this context, he added that "it is not enough to have modern equipment and qualified professionals; it is just as essential to ensure that the population is aware of the risks, understands the procedures and has confidence in the regional Civil Protection system."

The Regional Secretary pointed out that "this integrated effort has resulted in an effective strengthening of operational response capacity, a substantial improvement in the working conditions of Civil Protection agents and increased structural stability of the system." These factors, in his view, explain the growing level of confidence of the Azorean population in the institutions responsible for collective safety.

"Today, we can say that we have an Azorean population that trusts the regional Civil Protection system, and that trust is built every day through investment, professionalism, proximity, and ongoing awareness-raising and training," he said.

The government official concluded by stating that "the celebration of International Civil Defence Day is not only a symbolic moment, but also a practical opportunity to reiterate the strategic importance that the Regional Government attaches to this area, considering it as much more than just an emergency response structure."

“Civil protection is simultaneously an educational tool, a prevention mechanism, a factor in community cohesion and a fundamental pillar of our territory’s resilience. In an archipelago like ours, subject to specific natural hazards, consolidating a culture of safety is not an option; it is a collective responsibility that must be continuous, cross-cutting and assumed by everyone,” he defended.

“Civil protection begins with each one of us,” concluded Alonso Miguel, who also advocated that “strengthening the resilience of the Azorean community requires an ongoing commitment between institutions, operational agents, schools, families and citizens, based on cooperation and shared responsibility. This strengthens the system and prepares the Region to face future challenges with greater capacity and confidence.”