FIRES IN PORTUGAL - TIME FOR A PARADIGM CHANGE A Start - A Dialogue of Subject Matters Experts

Dear Mr. Prime Minister Montenegro, Madam Minister of Internal Administration Blasco, President Brigadeiro-General José Duarte da Costa, Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Prote??o Civil,

Warm greetings.

An unsolicited observation from a Luso-American and homeland security profession of nearly 15 years - at the US Department of Homeland Security, Federal emergency Management Agency (DHS-FEMA).

Please accept these following comments as constructive suggestions. I make these because I know Portugal can do better and have our nation's safety at heart as a Portuguese citizen, as all of you.

Over the years, I have seen, what appears from the distance, a dysfunctional pattern in the way Portugal fights fires.

The response always seems too little, too late and our brothers and sister - first responders - always seem not only unprepared but under-equipped [2].

The end result is, perhaps, preventable human loss - of these professionals and citizenry; and devastating property damage.

It is obvious to me, that a major review of standard operations procedures (SOPs) is a must, in my humble opinion. This is a common mechanism in the discipline as a way of making improvements. Saving lives.

I know Portugal has mutual agreements with the European Union, which has robust capabilities. More of those capabilities need to be prepositioned in Portugal.

During my tenure at US DHS FEMA, I had, as part of my portfolio the brave women and men of the major fire organizations here in the United States. Among these:

? International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)

? International Association of Firefighters (IAFF)

? National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)

? National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

? Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI)

? International Association of Black Prof. Firefighters (IABPFF)

? International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services (IAWFES)

? International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF)

? National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM)

I am proud to have been associated with these professionals, as a liaison between FEMA and the US Fire Administration - https://www.usfa.fema.gov/index.html -, as I was with the National Fire Academy - https://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/.

Among one of my major annual functions was to prepare the FEMA Administrator to keynote address these professionals at one of the largest - if not the largest - annual conference - the Fire-Rescue International (FRI).

Here is the link to this year's past event: https://www.iafc.org/.../fire-rescue-international-2024

Perhaps the time has come for a conference of first responders - in Lisbon - to bring these professionals - on both sides of the Atlantic - together so that they may benefit from each other's expertise and share best practices.

The other alternative, have Portuguese leadership attend a future FRI conference: https://www.iafc.org/.../fire-rescue-international-2025

Both nations will be better for it.

My firm, FERREIRAInternational (Fi) - US, LLC would be delighted to assist with the coordination of any future encounters.

I look forward cohering from you.

Warm regards,

Frank Ferreira / Mário Francisco da Costa Ferreira

Founder & CEO

(1) 201-851-3992

[email protected]

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[1] https://www.publico.pt/2024/09/14/sociedade/noticia/incendios-647-operacionais-combatem-fogo-fundao-211-seia-2104133

[2] https://www.frames.gov/catalog/8667