The prime minister said in Sardoal (Santarém) on Tuesday that it is necessary “to realize that fire is a risk and a risk that is present and will not disappear”.
António Costa spoke to journalists during an exercise held in the village of Santa Clara, in the parish of Alcaravela, Sardoal, within the framework of the Aldeia Segura program, which he considered “a very important work”, carried out by the municipalities , in collaboration with firefighters and security forces, ensuring the safety of the population in the event of a fire.
According to the prime minister, the country must be “prepared in various ways to face this risk”.
António Costa recalled that in the morning in the municipality of Mação, also in Santarém district, he contacted different ways to prevent rural fires, giving examples of programs to change the landscape and containment strips.
In the afternoon, after becoming aware of the program “A Raposa Chama”, with students of the 3rd and 4th years and of secondary education, at Escola Básica e Secundária Judite Andrade, António Costa watched a simulation of the evacuation plan in Santa Clara, in the framework of the Aldeia Segura program, with an alarm and concentration of the population at the headquarters of the parish council, and a land cleaning inspection action by the GNR.
“Besides fighting the flames directly, the priority must be the protection of people. This is absolutely fundamental and that is why the Aldeia Segura program is essential,” he said.
According to Interior Minister José Luís Carneiro, who accompanied António Costa, there are more than 2,300 Safe Villages in the country, with the district of Santarém 246 and Sardoal 38.
For the mayor of Sardoal, Miguel Borges (PSD), these programs are “very important for protecting people so that everything happens on time and safely”.
Source: DN
