League of Portuguese Firefighters (LBP) met with the President of the Federations, including the District of Beja and withdraws confidence from the president of the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires (AGIF) and suspend protocol.
The Federation of Firefighters of the District of Beja expresses total repudiation for the same, considering as such, that the said Lord, he is unable to continue to perform his duties, showing a total disrespect for the Associations / Fire Brigades and Municipalities of this country.
The governing bodies of the League of Portuguese Firefighters (LBP) and the Presidents of the Federations of Firefighters, in urgent informal meeting, decided to pass a motion, on the inappropriate behavior of the president of the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires (AGIF) at a hearing at the Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries of the Assembly of the Republic.
MOTION of the League and Federations of Firefighters
In view of the statements made by the president of AGIF, at the Agriculture and Fisheries Commission of the AR, regarding the activity report of the Integrated Management System for Rural Fires, we cannot remain indifferent as to the way he referred to the Firefighters and the Municipalities, nor the content of the statements.
Raise suspicions to the application of “a barbarity of money in firefighters by Municipalities, when they don’t spend money managing the forest”, raise suspicions of “political resistance to the distribution of power, non-compliance with procedures, of unverified money that has to be scalped”, without concretizing, it is in our opinion, very serious.
Accusing Firefighters of “receiving according to the burned area” is an unspeakable and unacceptable slander!
It is true that this senior public administration leader never expressed great appreciation for the activity of the Firefighters, however, it does not therefore have the right to make statements that undermine the dignity and good name of Humanitarian Associations, of their Fire Departments and Municipalities as if they were all aimless.
He adds that "so many air resources are not necessary" when we see that even now the EU intends to double its air fleet, leads us to question what “planet” this senior leader lives on.
The firemen, whether they are volunteers or professionals, have given proof of their commitment to the service of communities and recognize the essential role of the Municipalities/Town Halls/Autarchy where they are inserted, not accepting that their honor be called into question in an unfounded and provocative manner, moreover, unfortunately common fact of impunity nowadays.
for these reasons, the LBP repudiates the behavior and statements of the president of AGIF and follows the public position already taken by several Portuguese Municipalities, Intermunicipal Communities and by the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities.
Lastly, we understand that the president of AGIF does not meet the necessary conditions for the performance of his duties, in the face of the irrecoverable breach of confidence of agents fighting forest fires.
The LBP will also notify AGIF of the suspension of the protocol recently signed within the scope of the “Portugal Flames” campaign.. If. For all.”, because the conditions of trust that constituted a prerequisite for the signature of the same were broken.
