José Manuel Bolieiro acknowledges crucial role of firefighters in the Azores and ensures its development - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, accompanied by the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, chaired today the delivery ceremony of the Heavy Tankers to the Humanitarian Associations of Volunteer Firefighters of Ribeira Grande and Ponta Delgada. The event took place at the headquarters of the Ribeira Grande Volunteer Firefighters.

"This investment is implementing our policy, which also includes budget availability, to upgrade the fire fleet and renew the ambulance fleet within the framework of the Regional Civil Protection Service," said José Manuel Bolieiro.

He continued: "These vehicles had not been purchased for the fire fleets of Civil Protection Services and Humanitarian Volunteer Fire Brigades in the region since 2010."

The President of the Government emphasised the fulfilment of the "commitment made" by his Government to ensure the budget efforts needed to provide the essential means and resources for the rescue and protection of the population.

The initiative marked the delivery of heavy tankers: one for the Ribeira Grande Volunteer Fire Brigade and the other for the Ponta Delgada Volunteer Fire Brigade.

This investment, amounting to €627,300.00 (VAT included), will improve the equipping and modernisation of the fire brigade's resources for rescue, assistance and firefighting. 

The leader of the Regional Government was ‘honoured and proud’ of the promptness shown in helping the population fight the blazes in the great fire that broke out in the Autonomous Region of Madeira last August. he also mentioned the permanent readiness shown by regional firefighters, through the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service(SRPCBA), in sending resources to back up the brigades fighting the fires that ravaged Mainland Portugal in September, although this support was never requested.

The President of the Government also recalled the 197 firefighters involved in fighting the fire that broke out at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada and all the others who subsequently ‘provided ongoing support to patients, so that there were no constraints for patients in need of hospital treatment."

The President of the Government hopes that next October, the Azorean parliament will debate, vote on and approve the social status of firefighters in the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

José Manuel Bolieiro also hopes that, after dialogue with all the Humanitarian Associations of Volunteer Firefighters in the Region and all those who are not employers but are recipients of firefighters' services, an ordinance will be drawn up to review the working conditions and salaries of firefighters.

He also took the opportunity to announce the delivery of nine ambulances, amounting to one million Euros, and an investment of 500 thousand Euros in personal protective equipment, in addition to the recent delivery of three heavy tankers.