Firefighters face financial difficulties
Updated: 30-Jul-2010
| -[52147].res.jpg "Monchique firefighters need funds to pay wages and have a motivated force. Photo: MARK RAWCLIFFE – THE RESIDENT GROUP.")
Monchique firefighters need funds to pay wages and have a motivated force. Photo: MARK RAWCLIFFE – THE RESIDENT GROUP.
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With firefighters in Monchique on red alert due to the imminent risk of forest fires in the area, it has emerged that the service is facing financial difficulties.
The payment of wages for members of the Monchique fire brigade is at risk, as the association has a deficit in its accounts of more than 320,000 Euros, including 50,000 Euros owed to social security.
José Furtado, chairman of the board of the volunteer firefighters of Monchique, said: “The fighting of fires this summer will not be jeopardised because of our financial crisis but the situation requires more support from official bodies (Civil Government).”
He told the Algarve Resident: “We had a meeting with the Mayor of Monchique, Rui Miguel André, who was very touched and willing to help resolve the situation. He asked us for more detailed information regarding our finances, which we will present shortly to be analysed by the Câmara.”
The Bombeiros association needs about 50,000 Euros per month for payment of staff.
“If we get the money that we are entitled to, we will be able to continue our work. Otherwise, there are only two possibilities – either we receive funds from elsewhere or we’ll be forced to abandon our functions,” said José Furtado.
Jutta Hinrichs, a resident from Sítio Montinho, who has in the past been evacuated from her home due to the threat of fire in the area, said: “I have not been concerned about the staffing levels of the Bombeiros simply because we did not know they were in financial difficulty and we always just assume that we are covered by the service in the risk of a fire.
“Up to now, we have been totally satisfied with the services provided to us and we often see helicopters overhead, which make us feel confident that the Bombeiros are patrolling the area.”
She added: “The whole community here is behind the work of the Bombeiros and have helped to support them with fundraising as they are such an important part of keeping Monchique a safe area to live in. We can only hope that their work will continue in the future.”
Martha Cochran, a British resident living in Alferce, said: “This is a terrible situation for the Bombeiros, but I wish that we had been told about this sooner as perhaps we could help to raise further funds for them to be able to continue their work without these problems.
“We have a very strong community of foreign residents and Portuguese in Monchique and I think if the Bombeiros had let us know, we may have been able to help them in some way.”
Monchique Bombeiros are awaiting a decision regarding funding but until then prevention and permanent patrolling of the area will continue.
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