Regional Government launches “PC+65” Project to promote prevention among senior population - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, chaired the presentation of the awareness-raising project "PC+65 - Environment and Safety: A Shared Mission" on Wednesday, promoted by the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service, at a session held at the Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Vila do Corvo (charity).

On the occasion, Alonso Miguel highlighted that “the ‘PC+65’ project aims to promote awareness, information and education among the senior population regarding civil protection in social centres and day centres throughout the Azores.”

The government official stressed that, "as a result of climate change, extreme weather events have been affecting the Azores with increasing frequency and intensity, posing an increased risk to the safety of people and property." In this regard, he pointed out that "the significant effort made by the Regional Government to increase civil protection literacy through a series of projects aimed at different age groups."

The Regional Secretary also explained that this initiative aims to "promote prevention among a population group that is particularly sensitive and more susceptible to the risks and potential impacts of climate change, encouraging the adoption of practices that contribute to reducing vulnerabilities, and strengthening individual and collective safety."

During the session, Alonso Miguel announced that 120 sessions are planned throughout the year, each lasting 45 minutes, which should cover around 5,000 senior citizens from all the islands of the Azores. They will be structured around three fundamental axes.

According to the government official, "the causes and impacts of climate change will be explained during these sessions, seeking to highlight simple measures that can be adopted in everyday life so that each citizen can individually contribute to mitigating climate change."

"The sessions also include information on self-protection measures in the event of extreme weather events, addressing essential precautions to take before, during and after the occurrence of bad weather. It also includes preventive behaviours, as well as practical recommendations to reduce exposure to risks and improve individual and collective safety conditions," he added.

The Regional Secretary stated that "a clear and accessible explanation will also be provided on the correct procedures for requesting assistance via the 112 emergency number, highlighting the importance of knowing when and how to request support in emergencies."

Finally, Alonso Miguel emphasised that "these concepts and notions, although simple, could play a very important role in better preparing older populations, contributing to a more effective and appropriate response in emergencies."