In response to a request for information from Lusa, the mayor of Abrantes, in the district of Santarém, told Lusa that the light vans are part of the Special Rural Firefighting Device (DECIR), within the municipal scope, to "respond more quickly and effectively to fighting fires, in their initial phase, until reinforcements arrive at the fire site", being an "added value" due to their proximity and speed.

"In such a large territory as Abrantes, we need to have devices at various points in the municipality so that, in the event of a fire ignition, we can have rapid response conditions, safeguarding people and property", said Manuel Jorge Valamatos.

This year, the Abrantes City Council increased its investment in first response fire kits, to a total of 180,000 euros, 15,000 euros more than in 2023, a year that involved 10 parishes, now also including the Parish Union of Alvega and Concavada in the device.

Since 2019, the municipality has invested around one million euros (922,000 euros) in kits for parish councils to be able to provide a faster and more effective response to fighting fires, in their initial phase.

"No fire starts big, we have a territorial area of 714 square kilometres, we have protocols with almost all parish councils, in addition to hunting associations, and it is important to have these resources spread across the terrain to detect and immediately attack an ignition in its initial phase", highlighted the mayor.

According to Manuel Valamatos, the first response kits "also function as surveillance instruments, playing a deterrent and informative role for the population".

Today, the Abrantes Municipal Assembly approved the signing of inter-administrative contracts for "better performance of duties in the area of Civil Protection" with the Parish Councils of Abrantes and Alferrarede, Alvega and Concavada, Aldeia do Mato and Souto, Bemposta, Mouriscas, S. Facundo and Vale das Mós, Rio de Moinhos, Tramagal, Carvalhal, Fontes and Pego.

The Parish Union of São Miguel do Rio Torto and Rossio ao Sul do Tejo and the Parish Council of Martinchel are not part of DECIR, localities that "are still protected, since all other resources within the scope of civil protection are allocated in case of need".

DECIR, which started in 2019 with six parish councils, now includes vans in 11 of the 13 parishes of Abrantes, with annual financial support of 15,000 euros per first response kit, consisting of machinery, hose and tank with a capacity of 600 litres of water, specific training for two operators per van and personal protective suits, and they are equipped with communication radios.

Within the scope of DECIR 2024, to be presented in due course, the parish vans, during orange and red alert periods, undertake to be pre-positioned in Strategic Parking Locations (LEE), within the parish boundary and at times also defined in advance by the commander of the Abrantes Firefighters and by Municipal Civil Protection.

The municipality of Abrantes has an area of 714 square kilometres and a vast forest area.

Today, the Municipal Assembly also approved the inter-administrative contracts to be signed with 12 Parish Councils and Unions, in an amount exceeding one million euros (1,040,391.00 euros), to carry out various works in their respective territories, during the year 2024.

In the case of the Parish Union of Alvega and Concavada, which held interim local elections in February, the protocol will be defined and approved at a later stage.

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