Community association donates state-of-the-art radios to their fire fighters.
Roger that! Bombeiros on the Algarve’s west coast are receiving each other loud and clear after a local residents’ organisation presented them with 10 state-of-the-art radios following the recent wildfires.
Community association Amovate held a fund-raiser - Beatles-themed concert, starring Algarve tribute band The Bottles - hat brought in €3,120 for the fire fighters of Aljezur.
The amount raised included €500 from concert hosts the Restaurante Fonte do Vale. And discussions with fire chief Mario Costa about the best way of utilising the funds then resulted in the decision to buy the much-needed communications equipment, plus 12 suits of fire-retardant jackets and trousers.
Five years ago Amovate helped organise and deliver to Aljezur bombeiros the donation of €50,000 worth of state-of-the-art fire-fighting and rescue equipment from a UK fire service charity.
Fire chief Costa now intends for himself and his men to thank the people of Vale da Telha by bringing the brigade’s new fire engine and ambulance to the Restaurante Fonte do Vale sometime in September, and displaying the donated radios and uniforms for members and residents to see them first hand.
Amovate (Associação Dos Moradores e Amigos do Vale Da Telha, or the Association of Residents and Friends of Vale da Telha), also went beyond their local boundaries to assist fire fighters and residents in other areas.
A €200 donation from their charity fund was used to buy clothing for Silves Bombeiros as they fought the Monchique fires.
This comprised 48 t-shirts, 50 items of underwear for men and 24 for ladies, giving the fire fighters access to dry clothing after becoming drenched battling the flames.
And this big-hearted community association also gave more than €300—€200 from their charity fund and a further €100-plus donated by members - to help towards the recovery of the people of Monchique from the devastating fires.
Amovate secretary Steve Scott and Vice-President Ian Bedford then delivered goods they purchased with the cash, plus a large number of items donated by members and residents in the Vale da Telha area, to Ajuda Monchique (Help Monchique) whose volunteers distribute the items to people who had lost belongings and even their homes.
This included items like food, work boots and trousers, cleaning and hygiene essentials, tools, gardening equipment, a microwave, coffee machine, kettle and a small worktop cooker.
Earlier in the day Steve and Ian made the official presentation of the radios and kit to fire chief Costa at the Bombeiros HQ.
Steve explained: “The radios will be used by the fire fighters when tackling fires, so they all can make each other aware of the developing situation when they are not close enough to speak directly to one another”.
He added: “When we made the deliveries in Monchique we saw for ourselves some of the devastation caused by the fires. In fact, the word ‘devastation’ is not strong enough for the damage caused by the fire or what it has done to people’s lives.
“What Amovate, its members and local community have done is, as the saying goes, a mere drop in the ocean. But as the saying also goes, every little helps”.
For more information go to Amovate’s web page at: www.amovate.com
