Alonso Miguel congratulates Praia da Vitória firefighters who became national champion

April 26, 2024

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, congratulated and awarded a distinction to the Praia da Vitória Fire Brigade team for winning 1st place in the National Trauma and Extrication Championships, recently held in Tavira.

"This was another moment when our firefighters demonstrated their full capacity and we had the satisfaction of seeing the Praia da Vitória firefighters' team become two-time national champions in trauma, which means that we have the best of the best," praised Alonso Miguel.

The head of the Civil Protection department spoke Wednesday during a ceremony, held at the headquarters of the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service (SRPCBA), which honoured and distinguished the three members of this team: firefighters Bruno Espínola and Carlos Pacheco and coach Marina Pires.

In addition to the Praia da Vitória firefighters, the Azores were also represented in the trauma section by the São Roque do Pico firefighters, who came 5th, and the Madalena firefighters, who came 10th. As for the extrication section, the Region was represented by the Nordeste firefighters, who came 6th.

"Beyond the remarkable and honourable title of national trauma champions, these significant performances by our firefighters give the population enormous confidence and peace of mind, as they know that, in difficult times, we have the best of the best to assist," stressed the Regional Secretary. He added that they are the result of "hard work, dedication, excellence, knowledge and an unwavering desire to save lives."

On the occasion, Alonso Miguel pointed out that these results are also the outcome of "a strong leadership and management that acknowledges the importance of participating in these competitions and the excellence of the training provided by the SRPCBA."

The Praia da Vitória Fire Brigade team qualified directly for the World Trauma and Extrication Championship, which will be held on Terceira Island between November 5 and 9. This is "another great opportunity to showcase the dedication, skills, expertise and qualifications of Azorean firefighters."

The event will bring together participants from various countries and put victim rescue procedures to the test in trauma and extrication scenarios, with simulations as close as possible to real scenarios.

"We believe that we are going to have a world championship that will leave a lasting mark on the history of civil protection and firefighters in the Azores," stated Alonso Miguel.