Fires: When volunteers (who are not firefighters) make a difference

by Andrea
0 comments
Fires: When volunteers (who are not firefighters) make a difference

Pedro Sarmento Costa / Lusa

Fires: When volunteers (who are not firefighters) make a difference

Young Europeans make surveillance in throttles. Space of the scouts in Mascoselo became a point of distribution of food and drink to the firefighters.

Heat does not help, the wind does not either, the origins suspected even less: the fires They have destroyed thousands and thousands of hectares in Portugal, only over the past few weeks.

Any help to inhabitants, firefighters or civil protection is welcome. And in this context, over the past few days, two examples that give breath have emerged. You volunteer – who are not firefighters – they are not a detail.

Nearly 300 young people from various countries In the end of summer, in Europe, they participate in fire surveillance actions, integrated in volunteer actions from the village of Threshing, in the municipality of Rio Maior.

Every day, between 08h30 and 19h00, two young people per shift, a foreigner and one Portuguese, do the forest surveillance From a forest watch tower in the village of Arrouquelas, ”the Lusa agency coordinator of the project developed by the H2O – Arrouquela Youth Association, Alexandre Jacinto, told the Lusa.

Shifts in the tower “where they see an area to Rio Maior, and can be, besides vigilantes, determination agents in this time of fire risk ”.

The project, developed under the “Forests and Nature” program of the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ) and the European European Solidarity Body, will extend itself Until the end of Septembercausing more than 300 young people from different countries to pass by threshing, a village of 700 inhabitants in the district of Santarém.

“At this time there are 30 young people, of which 14 are Turks, but the project represents a great cultural diversity, gathering young people from other countries such as Russia, Belarus, Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Germany and Romania,” he said.

On turnover, young people camp in the village, in groups of 30, and, in addition to the surveillance of the forest (for which they receive the formation of the firefighters of Rio Maior), they are dedicated to a set of projects of volunteering, sustainability and active citizenship promoted by H2O during the summer months.

“They do actions to protect nature, path cleaning, green space maintenance, help to institutions, such as a kennel and an animal collection association,” exemplified Alexandre Jacinto.

The list of experiences goes further, “in a mutual learning where, for example, young people in Turkey, with less knowledge in the area of recycling, They learn how to do and go from home to house, helping the elderly to recycle and collect waste, ”added the project coordinator, which this year will be new to“ support for a family in rehabilitation of a degraded housing ”.

The months of volunteering are still marked by participation in party From the village and by “intercultural initiatives that bring a great dynamism and movement to threshing”, as well as others that extend through the county, such as a lunch that young people prepare annually for the Rio Maior firefighters.

“In a time when rural zones face depopulation and aging challenges, this is an inspiring example of inclusion, international mobility and interculturality,” said Alexandre Jacinto, founder of the association.

Drink for firefighters

The space of the scouts in Chew it, Vila Real, became a “Headquarters” where drinks, food and a shadow are given to the firefightersbut from there too Mota volunteers leave to support the operational scattered throughout the mountain range by fire.

Andreia Carvalho da Silva has traveled this part of the Sierra do Alvão Moto-Mota-Mota with fresh drinks and food that distributes the firefighters and also popular that are in the fight against Saturday, in Sirarelhos, Vila Real municipality, and that has the most controlled situation, but is not yet resolution.

“It has been a help. The heat is a lot, it’s like you can feel today. Within the evil we can find some good parts: this union of people”The 34 -year -old photographer and video was told Lusa.

I was in Alentejo, but I barely knew about the fire in the Serra do Alvão came to Vila Real.

“My mother has a house here, it’s the first house in the village of Mascoselo (…) I came up above because it is not possible to just see on television and obviously we want to protect everything that is ours, our common home, our nature and even our homes,” he said.

Andreia and other community volunteers joined efforts with scouts that opened the doors From the regional field of listening activities, in Mascoselo, where since Monday they began to collect donated goods.

Dali Motorcycle departs volunteers to distribute helpbut there too Welcome those who need to eat or cool off of the high temperatures that are felt in this area.

“There was a great union, Very quickly, all this time was all mounted and that was very important, ”said Andreia Carvalho da Silva.

While circulating by motorcycle, these volunteers They also watch the reactivations of the fire and give the alert.

“This is our greatest fear and that’s why we are in vigilance,” he said.

Rui Dinis, a 23 -year -old Air Force military man, is from Gontães and was on vacation in the village. Scooter also travel Bring bottles of water, apples and crackers to firefighters in front of the combat.

“As I walk the road from the zone where the Ardeu is always seeing if there is any reaction to, if necessary, to call the firefighters. It is also to help keep the population a bit calmer and also to help the firefighters, who do not have easy work,” said Rui Dinis.

These are not being, he said, “the holidays I was imagining.”

The space of the scouts is a kind of “rest area” for operational to eat and rest.

“We have a lot of shadow, here it is cooler. We are here to help”, Said Raquel Ferreira, leader of Group 212, who explained that they prepare there are sandwiches, energy drinks and waters.

These scouts were coming from a trip to Rome (Italy), where they were participating in the Jubilee when they were called to help.

Andreia Carvalho da Silva highlighted the articulation with Civil Protection, the firefighters and the popular who had the cisterns and who were “crucial” for the first call, when the fire started at the top of Mascoselo. “” I think it was even decisive this first line, “he said.

Source link

You may also like

Our Company

News USA and Northern BC: current events, analysis, and key topics of the day. Stay informed about the most important news and events in the region

Latest News

@2024 – All Right Reserved LNG in Northern BC