The President of the Government of the Azores revealed on Wednesday morning that the Government will continue to invest in the awareness and involvement of the Azorean population concerning civil protection issues.

Thus, in the next two years the Government will develop the project “Safe School” that will comprise all teaching levels as well as all schools in the Region with the purpose of preventing, educating and raising the awareness of children and youngsters for a safety culture.

In turn, the installation of the Emergency Coordination Centre, which will include the Açor Station, the Azores Health Line and the regional emergency number (112), will be concluded soon. The acquisition of the necessary equipment for the installation of a homeless camp with a capacity for one thousand people, which will be easily transported to any island when necessary, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. In addition to the family-size tents, the kits also include mattresses, sleeping bags, personal hygiene kits and kitchen equipment.

Reminding that regarding the assessment of risk situations, the Azores integrate the national and European Risk Observatory network, which facilitates, on the part of the Regional Civil Protection Service, the exchange of experience and the acquisition of relevant knowledge to the its good performance, Carlos César said that he expects that “the local authorities implement the plans and simulations that improve their responsiveness and the assistance provided to the populations in the face of all types of events that jeopardise the safety of people. Therefore, they should count on the technical and logistical support Regional Civil Protection Service.”

For the President of the Government, “there are multiple tasks that are undertaken by this governmental service, such as a safety inspection of a bridge, cleaning up a stream, the analysis of orographic changes or of the use of soils to meet the quality requirements of buildings, the allocation of funds for the operating services and the accountability of people in the protection system.”

Carlos César spoke during to lay the first stone of the works to expand and renew the Fire Station of the Humanitarian Association of Angra do Heroísmo Voluntary Fire Brigade – a work with an estimated cost of over 3.4 million Euros – and stressed the significant improvement conditions for the exercise of social and operational missions developed by this fire brigade in addition to mentioning the works that the Government will carry out in other fire stations.

In this context, the Government will carry out the works to expand the Fire Station of the Praia da Vitória Fire Brigade, the renewal of the Section of the Lomba da Maia Fire Brigade as well as the launching of the call for tender for the second phase of the Ribeira Grande Fire Station and the second phase of the works to renew and expand the facilities of the São Roque do Pico Fire Brigade.

“We are therefore intensively working in this sector and demonstrating that the Civil Protection is both an obligation and a priority,” concluded the President of the Government.