Portimão has welcomed a new Fire Chief
Luís Mestre has taken charge as the new Fire Chief of Portimão’s fire department.
In a ceremony held at the fire department on January 9, the former Municipal Coordinator of Civil Protection was officially sworn into his new position.
The ceremony was attended by several important figures in the region, such as Nuno Mergulhão, President of the Portimão Volunteer Firefighters Association Board, and Richard Marques, the Sub-regional Commander of Emergency and Civil Protection in the Algarve.
In his inaugural speech, Mestre said that his goal will be to continue the “symbiotic” relationship between local firefighters and civil protection, which he described as an “exemplary project at a national level”.
His resumé includes a degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing from the Évora Higher School of Nursing, as well as holds a postgraduate degree in Risks, Planning, and Civil Protection from the Manuel Teixeira Gomes Higher Institute and a master’s degree in Risks and Civil Protection from the Institute of Education and Sciences in Lisbon.
The new fire chief is also accredited by the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) as a trainer in Basic Life Support with an Automated External Defibrillator and emergency medical training.
Having “dedicated his life to civil protection,” as the local council puts it in a statement to the pres, Luís Mestre started his career as a firefighter in 1988 in the Alentejo borough of Almodôvar and has received numerous accolades and awards for his service, including six commendations, the Medal of Distinguished Services – Silver Grade, the Medal of Dedication – 25 years, and the Medal of Altruism – 30 years.
michael.bruxo@portugalresident.com
