Porto wants to reduce fire response time to 3 to 4 minutes

A Câmara do Porto votes, on Tuesday, to acquire for 1.5 million euros a property in Campanhã for installation of the Eastern Station of the Regiment of Sapadores Firefighters of Porto and a museum space, as proposed today.

According to the proposal that goes to votes at the executive's private meeting, to which Lusa had access today, the Regiment of Fire Shoppers of Porto (RSB) has “identified as criticism the need for greater response capacity” in the eastern part of the city.

“The creation of the RSB Outpost in the Eastern Zone covers a geographic asymmetry in the coverage of municipal relief, reducing the response time of the critical window of 9-12 minutes (overpassing the recommended critical window from 5 to 6 minutes), to 3-4 minutes,” says Councilwoman Gabriela Queiroz, who holds the core of Social Cohesion, Health and Civil Protection and who signs the proposal.

In the text, he also argues that this post will ensure the protection of “strategic and critical infrastructure of national and municipal level” based in the eastern zone, such as the Campanhã Intermodal Terminal (ICT), the Railway Station and the future high-speed line.

Thus, the municipality intends to buy the property located in Rua da Igreja de Campanhã, No 101, Freguesia de Campanhã, which is located in a land with 2.770 square meters and with a gross area of registered construction of 1,363 square meters.

Although the property was put up for sale for 1.59 million euros and an assessment has fixed the value to be 1,687 million, the municipality will be able to close the business for 1.5 million euros.

The proposal also contextualizes that the RSB is approaching its tricentennial and that “its historical and museological collection – one of the richest in Europe in fighting fires – is currently confined to a small room, without adequate conditions, which prevents the exposure worthy of the spoil, its public enjoyment, treatment and exploitation, which included historical cars and large parts”.

Thus, the property in Campanhã will also serve to welcome the Museological Space of the RSB, which “will enable this collection to have a dignified conservation and museography and will promote the increase of municipal cultural offer in the Eastern Zone, also associating with it the possibility of its exploitation for educational purposes and promotion and awareness of the issues of Civil Protection”.