The Regional Secretary for Science, Technology and Infrastructures praised last night praised the board of Povoação Volunteer Fire Brigade for their ability of raising the institution's credibility among the population in difficult times.

José Contente presided over the change of command ceremony and conveyed his satisfaction with this association for "being able to overcome the difficulties from the beginning. And that has not been an easy task; however, this association has been able to keep fire brigade on the right track thanks to people who have a sense of public duty and the services rendered by firefighters to the population."

The Regional Secretary addressed words of encouragement, perseverance and proactivity to the new commander, Ruben Franco, on behalf of a service whose purpose is to ensure the safety of local population.

The government official confirmed that he has been following closely the current situation of Povoação Firefighters' Association. He also mentioned that the Government has invested over 700 thousand Euros in the current legislative period. Until November 2011, 500,000 Euros were invested in the subsidisation of the salary costs of ambulance crews, whose team was recently reinforced with two new members. In the same period, 47 members attended training courses, corresponding to an investment over 10 thousand Euros. Moreover, a total of 125 Euros were allocated to this fire department for the improvement of facilities and the acquisition of a rescue vehicle.

"In the Azores, we are still able to support our firefighters' associations, avoiding a situation that is already happening in Mainland Portugal," where budget constraints are forcing the closure of some fire departments, underlined José Contente.

Meanwhile, the government recalled that resources are not "endless" and, for that reason, a rational and efficient management of public funds is required. "This association, as well as the remaining 16 fire department in the archipelago should maintain a balanced and sustained management of the available resources," stated the government official.

As a result of the catastrophes that occurred during the governments led by Carlos César, the areas of safety and civil protection were awarded priority status by the Azorean Government. In this context, the Regional Secretary highlighted the considerable investment in equipments, infrastructures and the training and qualification of fire brigades. This investment has strengthened the capacity and quality of civil protection services, which has been acknowledged both nationally and internationally.

José Contente considered that fire brigades should promote and maintain a "sense of responsibility and public duty with courage, dedication and continued commitment to the training of firefighters." Therefore, the Azorean people will continue to feel safe and confident in the quality of the services rendered by the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service - "the Civil Protection front-line in the Region that is responsible for the safety of citizens."