The Algarve’s councils have signed a protocol today in Faro that see the region’s firemen able to earn an additional €15 a day.
The Special Device to Combat Forest Fires (DECIF) 2014 agrees to add the sum to the government allowance of €45 per man, per day.
In today's statement, the Algarve Mayors’ group AMAL reported that the municipalities will pay the extra money with a 2014 cap of €317,760 to the 716 firefighters operating in the region.
AMAL stated that this measure is intended to combat the difficulty in recruiting firefighters, as the Algarve "offers opportunities for seasonal employment in the tourism sector that have more attractive pay and conditions."
The creation of this fighting fund is justified by the fact that the seasonal increase in the population of the Algarve during the summer months coincides with "an exponential increase in rural fires.”
The agreement is the result of a partnership between the councils, the National Authority for Civil Protection, the Federation of Firefighters of the Algarve and the Firefighters regional management.
