A proposal made by Safe Communities Portugal to the government last week, recommending that a direct channel be formed to enable members of the public who were affected by the recent fires in Monchique to share their first-hand experiences and make suggestions for the future, has been agreed by the Ministry of Internal Administration.
Although no human lives were lost during the Monchique fires, there were injuries, homes destroyed, considerable destruction to the environment, death and injury of animals, and many livelihoods affected.
There was both physical and psychological damage for those who lived through this terrifying ordeal.
With any incident of this magnitude, the government undertakes reviews to identify issues which went according to plan and, importantly, those where there are lessons to be learned. By doing this, there is an opportunity to move forward and bring about changes where necessary.
Those wishing to submit their observations and suggestions, in English or Portuguese, including volunteer agencies who were on the ground, can do so by using the following government email: aldeiasegura@prociv.pt
Views submitted will help in this review process.
By DAVID THOMAS
David Thomas is president of Safe Communities Portugal – www.safecommunitiesportugal.com
