A team of firefighters are going to ensure surveillance of the beaches located in the municipality of Portimão, outside the bathing season. This is the result of a protocol established between the Humanitarian Association of local Volunteer Firefighters and the City Council.
According to the local authority, “from October 1st to May 31st, a mobile water rescue and pre-hospital assistance team will ensure surveillance of the municipality's beaches”, thus safeguarding “the period not covered by the bathing season determined at government level”.
With this measure, says the local authority, “it is possible to operate a unit composed of firefighters, duly trained for surveillance and intervention on the coastline, which will operate using the municipal technical resources assigned to the municipal civil protection structure and in conjunction with the Maritime Authority”.
Operational equipment for water rescue was purchased, costing around €70,000, which “reinforce the missions attributable to the rescue vessel previously acquired by the local authority and to the local fire service," with the future purchase of more necessary material being planned in the near future.
The council say this decision to carry out ongoing surveillance is because “Portimão is a tourist destination par excellence, sought out by thousands of visitors even in the so-called low tourist season, which is why the team will patrol the municipality's beaches daily, from Praia da Rocha to Alvor, between 9 am and 6 pm”.
If you need help or support while swimming, you should contact 112 (European emergency number) or, alternatively, the Protection 24 Line, on 808 282 112, which operates 24 hours a day, all year round.
