The main objective of testing and operationalizing an alternative communications network for emergency situations was met, and the possibility of increasing the coverage scale is now being analyzed. The operation, coordinated by the Municipal Civil Protection Service, involved the collaboration of the Western Radio Amateurs Association and included the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Óbidos, the Volunteer Firefighters of Óbidos, the National Republican Guard (GNR), and the Western Sub-regional Command for Emergency and Civil Protection.
Faced with a simulated scenario of failure in usual communication networks, following a seismic event that would affect infrastructure, it was possible to establish an alternative radio link between the different entities, test communication procedures, and ensure the transmission of operational information.
This exercise also represented a pioneering moment of collaboration between the Municipality and the Western Radio Amateurs Association, which installed, for the first time in an initiative of this nature, communication equipment at the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Óbidos. This equipment is operational and on permanent standby for potential emergency situations, allowing an alternative communication channel to be available.
Through this experience, it was possible to demonstrate the importance of alternative communication systems in situations where conventional infrastructures may fail, particularly following seismic phenomena or other occurrences that compromise telecommunications networks. The challenge now is to expand the scale of this solution, working to strengthen coverage and communication capacity to a regional dimension, enhancing coordination between different civil protection agents and municipalities in the territory.
“"The storms that marked the beginning of this year have left us a lesson we cannot ignore: the safety of our communities requires constant preparation, foresight, and means to act when the most adverse conditions test the territory. We have the political responsibility to transform that experience into decisions, investment, and response capacity."
Filipe Daniel added that this is "the path we are building in Óbidos: strengthening Civil Protection preparedness, deepening cooperation with firefighters and security forces, and mobilizing the knowledge of partners like the Western Radio Amateurs Association. Testing alternative communications is a concrete step to maintain the link between those who coordinate, those who intervene, and those who need help, even when usual networks fail." Despite the exercise's success, "the work continues," noted the mayor, emphasizing the importance of identifying vulnerabilities, regularly testing available resources, involving the population, and expanding regional coordination, as emergencies transcend administrative borders and require joint responses.
The Mayor of Óbidos concluded that "preparing Óbidos for the future also means ensuring we are better able to protect people in difficult times. We cannot prevent all adversities, but we can and must reduce our vulnerabilities. That is the commitment we make to our communities." "A Terra Treme" is an annual exercise organized by the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection to alert and raise public awareness on how to act before, during, and after an earthquake.
