The President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, met today with regional secretaries to assess the activities carried out by several public departments regarding preventive measures to cope with the eventual passage of Hurricane Ophelia in the Eastern Group Islands.
 
In this context, the Civil Protection Services as well as the Health, Public Works, Forestry and Environmental Services will be on call on the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria. The Government will deploy personnel and equipment to the areas considered most critical on the island of São Miguel.
 
Vasco Cordeiro has already been in contact by telephone with the Mayor of Vila do Porto, Carlos Rodrigues.
 
The evolution of the situation will be monitored on the island of Santa Maria by the Regional Secretary for Health, who oversees the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service (SRPCBA), and by the Regional Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Ana Cunha.
 
For a first intervention, if necessary, 340 workers of the Forestry, Environmental and Public Works services will be ready to respond. In addition, the Government will deploy different types of machinery, including twenty backhoe loaders, excavators and dozers, among others.
 
With regard to ports, the Regional Port Authorities have placed port managers on call, who will be in charge of monitoring piers, marinas and other infrastructures. They are also implementing several measures, such as the reinforcement of moorings, the removal or dismantling of equipment and containers, and the reinforcement the temporary protection of the ongoing works.
 
Moreover, two teams from Ponta Delgada and Ribeira Grande fire brigades and operational staff of SRPCBA. Overall, 13 people will be deployed to the island of Santa Maria to help the local brigade. In turn, the Ponta Delgada Fire Station will be the headquarters of the Advanced Command Base of the Regional Civil Protection Service, which will include the reinforcement of emergency communications.