Between November 17 and 21, tests will be taking place in the Belém area to assess the capital’s ability to respond to potential natural disasters, such as earthquakes or tsunamis.
These tests are part of the FENIX 25 mega-exercise, a large-scale operation led by the Portuguese Army, in what is expected to be a very rigorous and vital test of the country’s readiness in the face of one of these potentially devastating scenarios.
Objective: to train and evaluate
The focus of these exercises is not on the likelihood of the event, but on the effectiveness of the response, and the ultimate goal is very clear: to train and evaluate the capacity of the Integrated Military Emergency Support System (SIAME) to support Civil Protection in disaster conditions.
To this end, an impressive contingent of around 300 operatives and 100 vehicles is being mobilized, transforming Lisbon’s hotspots into stages for intensive training, in an operation so complex that it will mirror the reality of a catastrophe of this size. Here are some of the locations where these operations are taking place:
- Telheiras (urban search and rescue)
- Simulations of searching complex structures and rescuing totally collapsed homes. The emphasis is on extracting victims in high-risk environments.
- Belém (tsunami warning)
- A test of the Municipal Tsunami Warning and Alert System, with the real activation of a siren on the waterfront and associated awareness-raising actions highlighting the post-quake maritime danger.
- Monsanto (rescue in natural environments and accidents)
- Wide-angle rescue tests (hard-to-reach areas), open area search and simulation of mass road collisions, which inevitably accompany post-earthquake disorder.
Full involvement of all law enforcement agencies
Several entities are taking part in these tests to respond to possible natural disasters in the city, from the Lisbon City Council, the Municipal Civil Protection Service, the Fire Brigade Regiment and the Municipal Police, who will be able to ensure that the simulations cover all aspects of urban crisis management, immediate rescue and maintaining public safety.
These simulations begin today, November 17, at 1pm , and although they are not “open” to the public, they serve as a warning of prevention to all citizens, who will always be the first line of defense.
It should also be pointed out that the success of these tests will not only be measured by the fluidity of military procedures, but by the robustness and rapid and effective response of the entire national system when faced with one of these potentially destructive hypotheses.
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