Local units reduce the risk of major fires

The coordinator of the Pombal Municipal Civil Protection Service believes that the risk of major fires is reduced with local civil protection units (ULPC) and highlights the importance of these teams throughout the year.

"Obviously, the fact that they exist reduces the risk of at least one major fire. I'm not saying that they reduce the risk of a fire, but they can drastically reduce the risk of a major fire," Hugo Gonçalves told Lusa news agency.

The ULPC are covered by the Civil Protection Framework Law of 2006 and correspond to the parish territory.

The municipality of Pombal, in the district of Leiria, has 13 parishes and 11 ULPCs. Another is in the process of being created. The number of volunteers is approximately 200.

The ULPC's work includes prevention and assessment of risks and vulnerabilities, awareness raising and public information, and support for incident management. During the summer, their activities focus on daily fire surveillance of the territory.

According to Pombal's Civil Protection coordinator, "on weekends, when volunteers are more available, the municipality can have more than half of its ULPCs active, which is very good." Hugo Gonçalves noted that this summer, a ULPC initially intervened in a small fire, and when firefighters arrived, "they only did the final cleanup."

"It was resolved because the ULPC was just meters away. Some people saw the smoke, thought it was strange, went to check it out, and immediately resolved a very minor issue," he stated. Hugo Gonçalves, who is also the commander of the Pombal Volunteer Fire Department, emphasized that "the first response to these types of situations is surveillance."

“In other words, if they happen to be carrying out surveillance and detect a situation like this, [the volunteers] can intervene as an initial intervention, but it is not the ULPC’s role to carry out the fight,” he said.

In this sense, he highlighted the importance of training for volunteers to have “an understanding of what they are doing” or the characteristics of the place where they are.

The municipality's ULPCs have a total of nine light vehicles equipped with an intervention kit that includes a water tank and tools, and two heavy vehicles with a larger water capacity. The volunteers wear fire-retardant uniforms, including boots and helmets, and are identified by the municipality and parish.

"Even though they know they can't carry out firefighting operations, the fact that they are involved in the firefighting theater to provide support may, in some situations, require that type of uniform, including for the first rapid intervention," explained Hugo Gonçalves.

In addition to insurance, volunteers receive training, which is the responsibility of the Municipal Civil Protection Service, and other civil protection agents are used on topics where justified.

The work of these volunteers doesn't end in the summer, with the coordinator highlighting the role of the ULPCs year-round, including in situations such as storms or floods. Identifying and communicating risks, from wall collapses and landslides to road signage, are other situations in which the ULPC can intervene.

"They notify the Municipal Civil Protection Service or, if necessary, the appropriate civil protection agent to resolve the situation," the official explained. According to Hugo Gonçalves, in March, when Storm Martinho struck, causing damage in the municipality of Pombal, ULPCs cleared municipal roads and "really made a difference."

“We often say that the ULPCs are the right arm of the Municipal Civil Protection Service,” he stated.

The municipal coordinator added that “it is always very important to publicize” the existence of ULPCs, as “they also end up deterring any type of inappropriate behavior on the part of the population.”