The Municipality of Loulé partnered in the organization and promotion of the initiative “Todos Juntos, Somos Segurança e Saúde” (All Together, We Are Safety and Health), which took place between October 13th and 15th, at MAR Shopping Algarve. To mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, this year themed “Resilience starts at home,” the Municipality deployed an institutional and operational presence at this commercial space, aiming to empower the population and foster a true culture of prevention and self-protection.
Throughout the three days, through the Municipal Civil Protection Service and the Municipal Firefighters of Loulé, the Council provided part of the event's technical and educational program. Civil Protection focused on younger demographics and the general public, running the educational game “SOS Loulé,” exhibiting emergency kits for people and animals, and holding workshops on preparing family emergency backpacks and pet first aid. In turn, the Municipal Firefighters teams conducted informational sessions on domestic risks, sharing essential knowledge to prevent accidents, particularly with the arrival of the cold season, such as the safe use of fireplaces, heaters, and Christmas lights, as well as pet first aid.
The program's highlight occurred on October 14th, with a large-scale drill. The exercise tested the operational response to a simulated fire in the textile area of the IKEA store, which necessitated the coordinated evacuation of the entire complex, and to a vehicle fire outside, resolved through immediate coordination between the shopping center's teams, the Firefighters of Loulé, Civil Protection, and the GNR.
Present at the scene to observe the operations, Telmo Pinto, councilman of Loulé, emphasized the invisible but vital impact of these actions: “Coming here to witness what was done, with the resources of the Council, the GNR, and everyone present, was very important. This is fundamental work, which is not seen like construction projects, but it saves lives.” He reinforced that civil protection and safety are shared responsibilities of the entire community and praised MAR Shopping for the initiative and concern for people's safety.
This was the first time the event, already established in the north of the country (MAR Shopping Matosinhos), was held jointly with the Algarve region. Ana Antunes, director of MAR Shopping Algarve, expressed the shopping center's pride in taking on this active role with the local population, linking the event to the safety culture of the INGKA Group.
Over these three days, the Municipality's operational aspect was also showcased with a permanent exhibition of advanced technical resources in the outdoor parking lot. Visitors could see up close the resources the Council uses to protect the municipality, including emergency pre-hospital and firefighting vehicles from the Firefighters, the Mobile Unit, the Sappers' vehicle, and the innovative Forest Robot with its trailer, belonging to Municipal Civil Protection, in addition to GNR vehicles.
