The president of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) said this Sunday that Portugal’s Integrated System of Emergency and Security Networks (SIRESP) has no faults, but admitted occasional periods of excessive use.
Occasionally there may be overuse […], especially because there has to be a lot of discipline regarding the use of SIRESP resources. I can say that the system itself has no flaws,” said Duarte da Costa.
The president of the ANEPC spoke to the journalists on the sidelines of the solemn session of the Day of the Municipality of Batalha (District of Leiria), where he was asked about possible failures of the SIRESP network in the Serra da Estrela fire, which broke out on day 6 and was submitted on Friday Thursday night.
Basically, what we are aware of is that the rates of use of the means themselves are in accordance with the intensity of the operations”, he guaranteed.
The SIRESP network is the exclusive communications network of the Portuguese State for the command, control and coordination of communications in all emergency and security situations, according to its website.
The president of ANEPC stressed that this “is a complex system, it is a system that is subject to atmospheric conditionsbut, due to the greater redundancy of means, greater redundancy of antennas, of mobile antennas, of the satellite redundancy itself”, it is “assembled and works so that there are no failures in the theaters of operations”.
According to Duarte da Costa, “what can truly exist is, at certain times, a user fee [excessiva] and many times due to indiscipline” of those who use the system.
And I am not withdrawing from this group either, from all of us who use SIRESP, and, normally, we have to disconnect the initial groups where we come from, to be able to speak in the theater. […]. And we have been aware of the situation that is happening in the theaters of operations, ”he said.
The president of ANEPC guaranteed that when “there really is a rhythm of approaching what are the limits that can be critical for the system”, they speak “immediately to the theater [de operações]” and there are all the capabilities so that everyone can communicate.
The Minister of the Internal Administration, José Luís Carneiro, also said that he was not aware of failures in the SIRESP network.
On Saturday, the ministry announced that the SIRESP will have a new investment of 4.2 million euros in redundancy equipment to ensure communications via satellite in case of failure of terrestrial circuits.
SIRESP will receive new investment to secure communications, announces Government
Source: Observadora
