The Vice-President of the Government stated in Horta on Wednesday that the “vast cooperation structure” which the Azores Civil Protection “has been a reference at national and international level.”

For Sérgio Ávila, who spoke at the Legislative Assembly, the response, the operation and effective support provided to the population in catastrophes “clearly demonstrate the effectiveness and validity of the investment made in Civil Protection.”

This is what essential concerning Civil Protection, stated the Vice-President in response to a speech delivered by the house leader of CDS/PP, adding that “all these issues are matters of detail that should be attended in due time if necessary.”

Nevertheless, the Vice-president of the Government acknowledged the short of firefighters in some departments which affects a structure that mainly relies on volunteering in the Azores.

Bearing in mind this situation, the question that arises is whether “we should invest in professional fire brigade with the respective costs or continue to invest in volunteering as the basis of the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service,” defended Sérgio Ávila.

In response to the “fears” and “constraints” that supposedly exist in the Azorean society nowadays, the Vice-president rejected such conclusions, stating that “there is full freedom of speech in the Region without constraints.”

After watching the news, listening to the news on the radio and after reading Azorean newspapers “does someone believe in these constraints” asked the Vice-President.