The role of the Armed Forces in supporting populations affected by Storm Kristin became “more robust” from January 30th through direct contact with local authorities, military spokespeople said this Tuesday, February 10th.
In a press conference at the Military Academy, in the municipality of Amadora, Lisbon, the spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMGFA), Lieutenant Colonel Susana Pinto, said that the military has been on the ground since January 28, the first day of Storm Kristin.
The soldier highlighted that the Armed Forces “are secondary civil protection agents in the civil protection system”, and the first request they received from Civil Protection was on the 28th at 9:00 am, having responded at 1:00 pm on the same day.
On January 29, at 10:30 am, the “blue” state of readiness was implemented, which implies a 24-hour response.
Navy spokesperson, Commander Sá Granja, said that there were two moments in the Armed Forces’ actions: a first with requests that arrived via the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) and a second “which was much more robust”.
This robust response is explained by the fact that authorization was given for “direct contact” between the branches of the Armed Forces and the municipalities, put into practice from the 30th.
“This authorization of support from municipalities and direct contact between the branches of the Armed Forces with the municipalities themselves results from a change or a new line of action that was determined at governmental level”he added, without elaborating.
From that moment on, according to the Navy spokesperson, the number of resources, personnel and actions on the ground “increased substantially”.
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