Audit reveals that there is a lack of an organizational model that allows territorial cohesion, define rules for public support and require reporting on the use of funds.
According to the audit published by Jornal de NotÃcias (JN), municipal funding for fire departments in Portugal is unequal, does not depend on meeting service or quality levels and is not even controlled or reported on, revealed an audit of the audit Office (TdC).
After analyzing the territorial distribution of 434 fire brigades (22 professionals and 412 volunteers) and subsidies granted by municipalities, the TdC recommends to the government that “promote a legal framework for restructuring the organizational model that allows for greater territorial cohesion”. to the municipalities, that body advises that they implement formulas for calculating coherent support and that these are monitored and controlled.
“The distribution of 434 fire departments throughout the territory does not meet economic criteria, efficiency and efficacy”, pointed the TdC. “Although most municipalities (192) be served by only one fire department, in the rest their number fluctuates a lot (between 9 in Sintra and none in Castro Marim)”, he added.
In addition to state funding, through the National Emergency and Civil Protection Agency (ANEPC), municipalities grant subsidies to humanitarian associations of firefighters ranging from 52,36 euros per fireman (Port) and more 17 thousand euros per professional (Amadora). In addition to the fact that there is no rule for subsidies, there is also no systematic control of the use of the amounts, service level protocols, readiness or quality. in some cases, nor are there any reports of firefighters' accounts, nor independent accounting of the municipality itself.
On the other hand, nota o TdC, There “collaboration protocols that do not relate to exclusive activities” firemen, how to transport water, cleaning rural paths or monitoring river beaches that “would be subject to public procurement rules and taxation”.
duplication of funds
In 2019, the firefighters received 63,6 million euros from municipalities and 74,4 million euros from ANEPC. Yet, as mentioned in the TdC, “there are no systematic mechanisms for monitoring and controlling the proper application of support”, not even “the entity responsible for carrying out the integrated analysis of all public funding allocated”. So, alert, there are cases where it is not possible “exclude duplication of funding”, between European funds, fundraisers, improper access to Participatory Budget appropriations, among other programs.
Eight municipalities – Amadora Bragança, Matosinhos, Odemira, Portimão, Setúbal, Sabugal and Tomar – were the subject of fieldwork and, in a general way, in dispute, declared their intentions to implement the TdC improvement recommendations.
Between field work, the case of Amadora stands out., where the commander's salary is paid without legal coverage since 2007 (should be on commission). It is the municipality with the fewest firefighters per thousand inhabitants., but what else pays them for fireman (17 thousand euros). Municipal funds finance, among other activities, the “Sunday dances”.
in Tomar, firefighters are part of the municipal staff and do not have their own accounts. Among the irregularities found, there are volunteers paid with gratuities and a firefighter who, in September 2017, received two and a half salaries for 634 work hours (21h em 30 days).
in Matosinhos, between 2015 and 2019, support from the municipality to the four fire brigades increased 818,9%, of 132,7 thousand euros for more than 1,2 million, in addition to the payment of personal accident insurance for professionals, which ascends to 92 thousand euros in the period in question. The Court of Auditors noted that the support was granted without coverage objectives, response or quality of service, there being no account reports or reports.
