Around 55% of the continental territory of Portugal is covered by forestry video surveillance systems, whose central mission is the early detection of rural fires, the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) revealed on Wednesday.
According to data sent to Lusa by MAI, video surveillance systems (VV) currently cover around 55% of mainland Portugal, corresponding to an estimated area of 5,000,000 hectarescovering parts of the districts of Aveiro, Bragança, Setúbal, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Porto, Santarém, Setúbal and Viseu.
The MAI specifies that these VV teams “are one of the tools that are part of the fixed surveillance system”, complementing the National Network of Surveillance Posts (RNPV) of the GNR that exists throughout the country.
According to the law cited by the MAI, forestry video surveillance systems include “state media, metropolitan or intermunicipal entities, municipalities, parishes and other private entities that have their own facilities installed on private property“.
The Ministry under the command of José Luís Carneiro explains that the use of VV cameras in the jungle has been carried out for several years and they are installed “in strategic places to cover the shadow areas between the different surveillance posts.”
According to the MAI, video surveillance systems have as main objectives the early detection of fires in forest areasdetection of reported cases that are false alarms and immediate communication to the center corresponding to the activation of the extinguishing device, as well as the capture of images and data collection on fires to support the operational decision and promote a more effective attack.
The MAI specifies that the systems have several cameras and a Management and Control Center, with “a panel of video monitors where images are captured with high refresh rate and quality“.
In the note sent to Lusa, the Ministry explains that “the images are controlled and monitored in real time by elements of the GNR or the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), in a 24-hour scale system and its constitution may vary from command to command.”
The systems are prepared for the automatic detection of forest fires through high and very high resolution video cameras with the support of operators. When a possible fire is detected, the operator establishes immediate contact with the respective Forestry Information Exploration and Maintenance Team of the GNR —teams made up of Guard personnel and based in each of the 18 Regional Relief Operations Commands (CODS ) of the ANEPC—so that the means of the attack can be sent to the site”, says the MAI.
Within the scope of the Integrated Rural Fire Management System, the GNR is responsible for coordinating the fire surveillance and detection network, made up of the RNPV, VV systems and mobile or terrestrial and aerial means of detection, as well as establishing the technical guidelines and functional. for its expansion, resizing and operation.
Source: Observadora