Last Friday, 400 operatives participated in the FIREX’24 exercise, which took place in Fanhais and Valado dos Frades, in the municipality of Nazaré, with the aim of gathering combat resources.
Organized by the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Command, of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, the exercise was hosted by the Nazaré Volunteer Firefighters and brought together operational personnel on the ground to test the means that are part of the Special Rural Fire Fighting Device (DECIDE).
Fire departments from the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo Region participated in the exercise, from the West, Greater Lisbon, Península de Setúbal, Lezíria do Tejo, Médio Tejo and also from the Leiria region, as well as operatives from the Institute of Nature Conservation and das Florestas, National Republican Guard, National Institute of Medical Emergency, Judiciary Police and Sapadores Florestais, as well as entities such as E-redes, Altice and Infraestruturas de Portugal.
The Nazaré Fire Commander gives a positive assessment of the initiative, which “was able to test strengths, but also to detect gaps and deficiencies”. Mário Cerol highlights interaction and knowledge as fundamental aspects for those on the ground. “This is what the exercises are for”, emphasizes the operator, who also highlights “the rural, urban and industrial interface”, referring to the stages where the activity took place, which covered the forest area in Fanhais, the evacuation of the Center School of Valado dos Frades and two companies in that parish. The response of emergency services was tested in an exceptional situation resulting from a rural fire, with an impact on the urban area. “Everything went normally, even in companies where employees were not warned about the drill”, describes the commander.
A concentration and support zone for the population was also activated and situations of trauma, medical emergency, psychological and social support and logistical response were simulated, with the articulation of land and air resources.
For the regional commander of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo of ANEPC, “more than the actual movement of resources in the theater of operations, the organization of both the command post, with its different cells and nuclei, with their respective skills, is important. to ensure coordination, whether the organization of the theater of operations, with the location of the different infrastructures”. Elísio Oliveira also highlights “the role of the citizen, hence training in evacuation to a shelter point”.
The exercise carried out last Friday involved various resources from the Intermunicipal Community of the West and the Nazaré Chamber, namely with the presence of technicians from the Municipal Civil Protection Services.
