José Manuel Bolieiro pays tribute to firefighters who fought HDES fire
Ponta Delgada
Presidência do Governo Regional
The President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, paid tribute today to the firefighters who fought the fire that broke out at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES) on May 4, expressing "gratitude to all, without exception," for their work.
"My first word can only be one of gratitude and recognition," said the President, who was accompanied by the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel.
Commending the "unconditional dedication" and "intense work," José Manuel Bolieiro stressed the "strong leadership" of the commanders on duty on May 4, recalling that all firefighters "do not think of themselves, they think of others and risk their safety, which has to be praised and recognised at every moment."
Addressing dozens of firefighters in Ponta Delgada, the President of the Government valued the ‘skills, promptness, diligence and knowledge’ of all of them, recalling various awards won by Azorean firefighters in national and international competitions in recent years.
The "response capacity" during the HDES fire was also highlighted by José Manuel Bolieiro, who also offered words of encouragement for injured firefighters after "giving themselves to a mission" in favour of the Azoreans.
"All patients were evacuated from the hospital" and "there were no deaths, not even serious injuries or any medical complications caused by the disruption in care or the transport of patients," he continued.
José Manuel Bolieiro noted that a "group of stakeholders," including the Regional Government, firefighters' associations and local authorities, must come together “and share solutions that help, in progress, to increase the fairness, equity, sustainability and dignity of the mission of volunteer firefighters” in the Azores.
