Albufeira | IV Civil Protection Knowledge Fair – Raising Community Awareness of Risk Problems

The IV Civil Protection Knowledge Fair kicked off this Thursday, March 21st, at EMA – Espaço Multiusos de Albufeira for a three-day “marathon”, of lectures, demonstrations, awareness-raising actions, information sessions, screenings, workshopsexperiences with simulators, visits to the virtual risk room and the exhibition of means and resources of the various Civil Protection agents and cooperating entities.

The event is part of the International Civil Protection Day Celebration program, which takes place on March 1st, with a view to alerting and raising awareness among the population about the importance of Civil Protection in safeguarding human life, property and heritage in the face of occurrence of serious accidents or catastrophes. The Fair is free to enter and can be visited until tomorrow, March 23, from 10am to 7pm.

The Civil Protection Knowledge Fair, which opened its doors during the morning of this Thursday, March 21st, began, precisely, with a visit from the president of the Municipality of Albufeira, councilors, presidents of the various Parish Councils and other guests to the exhibition of means and resources of the various Civil Protection agents, on display in the Car Park in front of the Sports Pavilion of the Albufeira Secondary School, which included detailed explanations from all participating entities. This was followed by a visit to the Fair’s various exhibition spaces.

During the inauguration, the presence of children from Jardim de Infância dos Caliços, a class of students from Escola Secundária de Albufeira, a group of users from Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Albufeira and Clube Avô should be highlighted.

Cláudia Guedelha, councilor responsible for Civil Protection, opened the speeches phase by recalling that the Albufeira Civil Protection Knowledge Fair is an event integrated within the scope of the Celebrations of World Civil Protection Day, to which the Municipality joined with a program diverse range of activities. Thus, throughout almost the entire month of March, in addition to organizing the Fair, the celebrations included the exhibition “February 28, 1969, Memory of an Earthquake” (6 to 20 March at the Lídia Jorge Municipal Library) completed by a set of lectures and, also, an exhibition with the work carried out by pre-school and primary school students in the municipality, within the scope of the “Civil Protection Heroes” project with the title “The Risks of our City”, on display in the Town Hall until April 18th. It should be noted that this local authority project was awarded an Honorable Mention in the first edition of the Recognition Award for Good Local Practices in Resilience Promotion.

“This type of initiatives is extremely important in terms of raising awareness and transmitting knowledge with a view to anticipating, protecting and mitigating risks in the face of disasters”, said Cláudia Guedelha, who highlighted that “assertive communication with citizens, with the Albufeirense community that has grown with a strong multicultural tendency, is essential in the day-to-day running of Civil Protection services. We are responsible for making them aware of our mission, the means and resources we have available, the networking we develop with different Civil Protection agents and Cooperating entities, which makes us stronger to face risks”.

The Sub Regional Commander for Emergency and Civil Protection of the Algarve, Richard Marques, said that each of the entities fulfills its mission on a day-to-day basis and “when it is necessary to join forces, everyone works as a network and that is how it makes sense”, reinforced. “In addition to networking, we must highlight the importance of new technologies at the service of Civil Protection, in order to help combat the multiplicity of existing risks”. This Civil Protection Knowledge Fair is a representative space for all entities operating in the area of Civil Protection, which present here what they do and what their mission consists of, he concluded, taking the opportunity to give the “congratulations to the Municipality and the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Albufeira, with whom I work daily and consider an example to follow”.

The president of the Albufeira Municipal Council, the highest entity for Civil Protection in the municipality, began by congratulating SMPC for the excellent organization of the Fair, as well as the other workers in the Municipality, whose contribution was fundamental to the success of the initiative. José Carlos Rolo also expressed “special thanks to all the entities represented at the event, especially those who came from abroad, making a point of responding positively to our invitation”.

“The fourth edition of the Fair adopted the name of Civil Protection Knowledge Fair and in fact, knowledge is essential to all areas of life in society and, similar to what happens there, for Civil Protection to exist it is necessary to invest in knowledge”, he said. The mayor congratulated all the actors who in the theater of operations, when a catastrophe occurs, come together as a well-articulated and organized body so that the intervention is a success and the consequences for the population and for the natural and built heritage are less serious. possible. José Carlos Rolo highlighted that Albufeira is a municipality that lives essentially from tourist activity and that the safety and protection of people and goods is an essential factor in choosing the destination, so I hope that this experience is replicated in the region and transmitted abroad, so you know that we are well prepared to welcome anyone who visits us.

Concluding his speech, he highlighted two fundamental aspects regarding Security and Civil Protection. The mayor stated that, on the one hand, it is necessary to demystify the idea that problems only happen to others. “It is essential to raise awareness, alert people to the risks, inform about prevention and action in case of emergency and convey all the involvement related to Civil Protection”. On the other hand, he highlighted “It is important to start information and awareness campaigns in schools very early” so that our children and adolescents gradually learn about the correct measures and procedures to adopt in situations that could eventually put them in danger, at home, at school, on the beach, in the event of an earthquake or flood, or in a simple walk in the countryside or in the city. “That’s why I consider it so important that school students visit the Fair and I also extend my invitation to parents so that next Saturday, the 23rd, the last day of the event, they can bring their children to explore the stands together. and the exhibition of means and resources from the various participating entities, enter the virtual risk room, watch demonstrations on horseback, see how the Algarve seismic risk and tsunami simulator works, among many other activities”.

It should be noted that the IV Civil Protection Knowledge Fair is an organization of the Municipality of Albufeira, through the Municipal Civil Protection Service and has the following partners: Portuguese Army; National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority; GNR; ICNF; Albufeira Municipal Police; Albufeira Volunteer Firefighters; Portuguese Red Cross – Silves Albufeira; ANSA; E-Redes; Safe Communities Portugal; APA; Infrastructures of Portugal; AGIF – Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires; AMAL; APSEI – Portuguese Security Association | RCL; Algarve Local Health Unit; Social Security; APSI – Portuguese Child Safety Association; Live Science Center and Amateur Radio Clube de Loulé.

CM Albufeira