Firefighters to receive more thanks to new protocol
With summer just around the corner, the Algarve’s 16 municipalities are boosting funding for the brave firefighters who will be at the frontlines from May 15 to October 15.
The move, led by the Algarve municipalities association (AMAL), is part of a protocol also signed by the Algarve branch of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, the Algarve Firefighters Federation and the 13 humanitarian firefighter associations across the region.
In short, the protocol will see more money being attributed to firefighters who are part of the Special Rural Firefighting Device (DECIR) — the seasonal force tasked with tackling wildfires during the height of the tourist season, when the Algarve’s population swells dramatically.
Each firefighter will now receive a daily stipend of €75 from the national civil protection authority — up €7.70 from last year. AMAL itself is pitching in with an additional €30 for each of the 1,191 firefighters per day, a €4 increase approved just last Friday.
On top of that, each of the 16 municipalities will contribute €55,245, funds that go toward covering a range of essential firefighter services.
According to AMAL, the goal is to maintain dedicated rural fire teams without sacrificing the region’s ability to respond to other emergencies.
The protocol covers the period between May 15 and October 15 – considered the most serious for wildfire risks – and is viewed as critical for the success of DECIR, which has helped tackled firefighters at an initial stage, preventing more serious blazes, AMAL points out.
