AGIF shares recommendations
- Help reduce community transmission of the virus among operational rural fire prevention, surveillance and suppression crews;
- Disseminate the best practices handbook for entities that are part of the Integrated Rural Fire Management System (SGIFR) regarding the prevention and mitigation of the impacts of COVID-19 to help minimise the impact on their activities;
- Contribute to equipment and facility maintenance procedures.
AGIF shared its recommendations for the entities that are part of the Integrated Rural Fire Management System (SGIFR) regarding the prevention and mitigation of the impacts of COVID-19 on prevention, monitoring, suppression and post-fire activities.
The document was shared with all SGIFR entities and is based on the recommendations from the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health (DGS – Direcção-Geral de Saúde), the American Heart Association (AHA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA – FEMA), and includes contributions from ANEPC, GNR, ICNF and FFAA.
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the organisations that are responsible for preventing and suppressing rural fires must ensure the safety of their responders and operational personnel and prevent spread of the virus, minimising the impacts of COVID-19 on their mission and goals. The recommendations made by AGIF for all SGIFR entities help ensure the cross-cutting adoption of common principles and rules to prepare a strategic response that is in line with operational adjustments, better crew management and the sharing of guidelines that help minimise operational impact.
Reduce the risk of virus transmission and mitigate impacts
The document includes recommendations for personal and organisational prevention and serves as a tool in the prevention and mitigation of the impacts of COVID-19 on fire prevention and suppression activities. For example, the establishment of protocols for the deployment and integration of resources to help reduce community transmission of the virus between crews from across the country and mobilisation of health support groups from the FFAA and GNR and private entities with technical capacity for large-scale disinfection at the theatre of operations.
These recommendations are part of a programme to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the system for the protection of people and forests against rural fires, which is being jointly implemented by all public bodies that coordinate prevention, surveillance and suppression operations.