Regional Government launches €2 million tender for purchase of new vehicles for fire services - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática

The Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, through the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service (SRPCBA), has launched a new public tender, amounting to €2 million, for the purchase of another five emergency and assistance vehicles, intended to strengthen the operational capacity of regional fire brigades.

The tender provides for the acquisition of three medium-sized emergency vehicles, to be allocated to the Fire Services of Ponta Delgada, Nordeste and Velas, and two heavy fire truck tankers to be used by the Fire Services of Flores and Madalena. This measure is part of the Regional Government’s strategy to strengthen and modernise the operational resources dedicated to protection and rescue in the Azores.

As the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, emphasised, “the launch of this tender represents another step towards improving the resources available to Fire Services in the Azores.”

According to the government official, this investment will “improve operational capacity, ensure a better response capability and enhance the effectiveness of rescue operations, whilst addressing the need to renew the vehicle fleet and meeting the Region’s operational requirements.”

Alonso Miguel also pointed out that this initiative “is part of an ongoing effort to modernise equipment and vehicles, ensuring that resources are increasingly suited to the Region’s operational requirements.”

“The Government of the Azores has been carrying out the renewal of the regional red and yellow fleet, an investment that now stands at €8 million in just four years, alongside the improvement of the pre-hospital emergency medical service.”

He pointed out that this represents “an ongoing and structural investment in the operational capacity of regional fire services.”

Regarding the safety and protection of frontline staff, the government official also highlighted the investment in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), with €300,000 allocated to Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) at the end of last year.

For Alonso Miguel, “the protection of firefighters and the creation of better conditions for them to carry out their duties are also priorities for the Government of the Azores.”

The Regional Secretary stated that “a series of structural investments will be implemented as early as the first half of this year to strengthen the operational capacity of Fire Services in the Azores.”

Among these measures, Alonso Miguel highlighted that 17 tactical self-command vehicles will be delivered this March – one for each Fire Service in the Region – thereby strengthening the capacity for command and coordination of operations on the ground.

“This is a very significant boost to operational command capacity, with a direct impact on the effectiveness of responses on the ground,” he said.

Also planned for the first half of the year are the delivery of two new fire engines, 70 defibrillator monitors for emergency ambulances throughout the Region, and another 12 emergency ambulances, representing a significant boost to the regional pre-hospital emergency medical service. According to the government official, “these investments reflect a clear commitment to bolstering resources and improving the response provided to the population.”

Meanwhile, construction is currently underway at the SRPCBA Training Centre on a high-rise training tower, designed to enhance the skills and operational readiness of Azorean firefighters. Alonso Miguel emphasised that “the training and development of operational staff are essential elements of a better-prepared and more effective civil protection service.”

The Regional Secretary reiterated the Regional Government’s determination to continue investing in this area, noting that “about €60 million has been invested in the Regional Civil Protection System over the last five years."

For Alonso Miguel, this is a path worth pursuing, as “it strengthens our response capacity, the effectiveness of our emergency services and the support provided to the Azorean population."