In the midst of management turmoil, change is in the air for the Bombeiros Voluntários of Silves. This past Friday, a general vote was held to dismiss all 10 members of the governing board and fiscal council. The results: 140 votes to dismiss, two votes not to dismiss, and one abstention. The next step is to nominate and elect a new board. This process will begin immediately.
The firefighters have been in a unanimous state of protest for more than two months. In a symbolic gesture of solidarity, they have laid down their red and yellow helmets in three neat rows on the firehouse floor.
“I’ve been here 25 years, and have never seen management this bad,” former Fire Chief António Nunes told The Resident. “The Bombeiros have not been getting the leadership and support they need to do their job.” Nunes was Fire Chief in Silves from 2017 to 2022. Since then, there has been no permanent chief, and other ranking positions have not been filled.
The Bombeiros Voluntários of Silves are not exactly on strike. They continue to fulfill their required duties and responsibilities. But they are unified in their grievances about what they see as poor management by the governing board that controls their firehouse. As many as 15 Bombeiros have recently quit.
In the meantime, the Bombeiros Voluntários of Silves will carry out their duties as they always have.
“If anything goes wrong, we respond,” said Silves Bombeira Voluntária Erika Meca van den Berg. “Many people don’t realize how many different things we do to protect the public. Besides fighting wildfires, we fight fires everywhere, including urban areas. We also, of course, respond daily to medical emergencies. We also respond to a wide range of other emergencies, such as car and motorcycle accidents, other kinds of accidents and dangerous situations including the area’s recent flooding, last year’s electrical blackout, gas leaks, chemical spills, and biological or nuclear contamination.”
Since 2018, Erika has received hundreds of hours of training in multiple areas of emergency response. “We also perform rescues of all kinds on land, waterways, and under water; with ropes, aircraft, boats and divers. We are also called upon to perform animal rescues (yes, even the cat stuck up a tree).”
It is clearly not an easy or safe job. They are heroes, risking their lives to save the lives of others.
After Friday’s historic vote to dismiss the governing board, the Bombeiros of Silves have released this statement to the public:
“The members voted. The governing bodies were dismissed:
Putting their helmets on the ground, lined up in silence, before the association’s board was not an act of disrespect — it was an act of courage and awareness.
For 61 days, they remained a living memory of a struggle that transcended positions and administrative issues. This is about dignity and respect for those who risk their lives every day to save others.
The helmets on the ground represented more than just a protest. They represented the exhaustion hidden behind a uniform. By leaving our helmets there, we weren’t abandoning the mission — we were defending the values that sustain it and our commitment to the population.
During these 61 days, there were harsh words, attempts at demobilization, and confrontations with the ego of those in leadership. But what prevailed was something greater: the unity that makes us advance into danger was the same unity that kept us firm in this fight.
Today, more than an administrative outcome, a lesson remains: true leadership is born from respect, not imposition.
The helmets will be raised again, as a sign of overcoming and renewed commitment. The greatest victory was not against individuals, but against division, against discredit, and against the idea of absolute dominance.
The members and the public who were present gave voice, gave strength, and showed that the trust built over the years does not fade in the face of difficulties. It wasn’t noisy support, but heartfelt support, in words and discreet gestures. To those who stood by our side, we offer more than a formal thank you. We are left with the awareness that we did not walk alone. And that, in moments of greatest pressure, is worth more than many speeches.
We now look forward to a promising future, hoping that those who come after us intend to rebuild, dignify, and respect the 100 years of this Association. We remain vigilant and committed to ensuring that #0806 united will be here whenever the dignity of the Silves Volunteer Firefighters Humanitarian Association demands it.”
#togetherwearestronger.
