Civil protection services will be receiving extra funds for 2014 – some of which will be channelled into national fire departments. The news comes from Minister for Internal Administration, Miguel Macedo, who was speaking in Parliament during the presentation of next year’s State Budget. But the figures are not instantly impressive.
According to 2014’s internal safety plan, the National Civil Protection Authority will have a budget of approximately €128 million. That is only €500,000 more than the budget it had for 2013.
Macedo also announced the installation of 2,600 terminals in the emergency and safety network SIRESP. These will “increase communications among all civil protection workers” across the country, he explained.
Further measures include the shutting down of the government’s company EMA – which manages aerial assets – and incorporating it into new national entity, to be called Direção Nacional de Meio Aéreos.
