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    Over 90% of firefighters in Portugal are volunteers who risk their lives battling wildfires during the summer for little or no pay, driven by a sense of community spirit and duty rather than money. These volunteer firefighters, ranging from professionals to laborers, comprise the front line of emergency response in Portugal, where there are only 7 paid fire departments nationally. Wildfires have grown particularly severe in recent years due to drought and overgrown forests, stretching Portugal's largely volunteer-based firefighting system to its limits during the summer fire season.

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    Over 90% of firefighters in Portugal are volunteers who risk their lives battling wildfires during the summer for little or no pay, driven by a sense of community spirit and duty rather than money. These volunteer firefighters, ranging from professionals to laborers, comprise the front line of emergency response in Portugal, where there are only 7 paid fire departments nationally. Wildfires have grown particularly severe in recent years due to drought and overgrown forests, stretching Portugal's largely volunteer-based firefighting system to its limits during the summer fire season.

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    277 views4 pages

    Community Spirit Drives Volunteer Firefighters in Portugal

    Uploaded by

    florence humangop
    Over 90% of firefighters in Portugal are volunteers who risk their lives battling wildfires during the summer for little or no pay, driven by a sense of community spirit and duty rather than money. These volunteer firefighters, ranging from professionals to laborers, comprise the front line of emergency response in Portugal, where there are only 7 paid fire departments nationally. Wildfires have grown particularly severe in recent years due to drought and overgrown forests, stretching Portugal's largely volunteer-based firefighting system to its limits during the summer fire season.

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    Community spirit drives volunteer firefighters in Portugal

    By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela Staff

    This summer, 2,000 Portuguese firefighters battled a deadly, weeklong wildfire that killed 64
    people. Besides facing serious danger, these firefighters had something in common: they were doing
    it for no pay.
    Over 90 percent of Portugal's firefighters are volunteers. From lawyers to construction workers, they
    take time off work to risk their lives. The volunteer fire departments where they work need donated
    money to pay for their equipment.
    During the summer fire season, firefighters are often sent to fires far from their homes. Then the
    government pays these brave men and women $2 an hour. The volunteer firefighters usually give
    the money to their fire departments.
    Sense of Duty Pushes Volunteers
    Hugo Simoes is a 33-year-old bombeiro, or firefighter. In June, he was sent to the country's
    deadliest wildfire. He says a sense of duty and brotherhood drives the volunteers. "We do it out of
    community spirit," he says.
    Volunteer firefighters are not uncommon in Europe and beyond. More than 97 percent of German
    firefighters are volunteers. In the United States that figure is around 70 percent. But in Portugal,
    these volunteer services are the front line in emergencies. There are just seven paid fire
    departments in the country.
    Cultural Tradition
    Simoes works for Portugal's oldest fire department, the Bombeiros Voluntarios de Lisboa. It was
    created in 1868 in the capital city of Lisbon. For him, the volunteer spirit shown by generations of
    firefighters is not remarkable. It is a cultural tradition.
    "Here in Portugal, it has been like this for a long time," he shrugs. "We like what we do. On hot days
    when we could go to the beach, we come here to the fire department instead."
    Simoes works full-time doing administrative work at the fire department. He earns around $700 a
    month.
    In June, there was a huge blaze about 90 miles north of Lisbon in Pedrogao Grande. Simoes set off
    with four vehicles and their crews.
    "Some walked out of work and risked being marked as absent," Simoes says. Across the country,
    other volunteer firefighters did the same.

    Summer is the Time for Wildfires


    The Pedrogao Grande blaze grew because of hot weather, strong winds and dry woods. The fire
    spread quickly and trapped people in their cars when they tried to escape.
    "The stress, the adrenaline, the heat — they demand a huge effort," Simoes said. "At times it can get
    a bit hairy, but our training kicks in."
    Similar scenes play out every summer in Portugal. Giant flames make the firefighters look tiny.
    Huge clouds of smoke stretch to the horizon. Locals help out with buckets and garden hoses and
    try to stop the flames with broken-off tree branches. Wildfires race through eucalyptus and pine
    forests that are uncleared and tightly packed.
    This year has been particularly bad, due to a severe drought. Portugal is one of 28 countries in the
    European Union. But the wildfires in Portugal caused more than one-third of the burnt forest of the
    European Union.
    Last week, Simoes and his team were sent to a major forest fire near Pedrogao Grande. Firefighters
    had the blaze under control within 48 hours.
    Donating Food and Water
    The volunteer firefighters are seen as heroes in Portugal. A recent fundraising effort called them
    "heroes without capes." The people of Portugal happily donate large amounts of food and water to
    help the firefighters.
    About 80 people are on call at the Bombeiros Voluntarios de Lisboa. They receive more than 300
    hours of training, which is also done outside their day jobs.
    Simoes says the department has always had enough workers, though it is stretched in emergencies.
    It has just enough money. Fire suits cost over $2,000 each. The recent purchase of 100 new
    helmets cost $33,000.
    Portugal's volunteer fire departments often buy used vehicles. In Lisbon, that includes a fire truck
    purchased in Luxembourg. A new one costs almost $300,000 — way too expensive for the
    department. Their dream, they confide, is to own a big American fire truck.
    Source: https://newsela.com/read/elem-volunteer-firefighters-portugal/id/
    33865/quiz/question/0/?collection=2000000224

    Make a Cultural Content Connections Project related to the text you have read in Learning Task 1.
    Making Cultural Content Connections Project

    Name of Community Icon: ________________________________________________

    This is an independent project where you will research on a particular community icon (living or
    not-living), like a local hero, leader, volunteer, or advocate, who has made some sort of contribution
    to the community and culture where you belong. Whether the community icon pioneered an
    advocacy, made something better, contributed enormous ideas, or discovered something, we want
    to know about it.

    You have five (5) choices for the type of product that you will be completing. Choose one (1)
    from the given options.
     News Article: Write a front-page news story/article about your community icon and explain how
    he/she and his/her advocacy, discovery or contribution affects your life.
     Children’s Book: Create a printed children’s book inspired by/using important details about
    your famous community icon and his/her advocacy, discovery or contribution.
     Poster: Create a poster of your community icon including all important facts about his/her life
    and advocacy, discovery or contribution.
     Model: Create a small 3-D (physical) model that represents what your famous community icon
    achieved (the advocacy, discovery, contribution, etc.), with a written informational speech.
     Digital Presentation: Create a digital presentation that includes important details about your
    famous community icon.

    What should be included in your project?


    1. The first, middle and last name of your community icon
    2. A mugshot (picture of your community icon)
    3. Years living (examples: 1901-1959; 1973 – to present)
    4. His/Her place of origin
    5. Your similarity with your community icon
    6. Place where he/she did/does his/her work
    7. A description of what your community icon is most famous for
    8. Pictures, graphics or illustrations of what your community icon is famous for
    9. A paragraph explaining how his/her accomplishment has benefited the community
    10.Two interesting facts about your community icon
    Making Cultural Content Connections Scoring Guide

    Name of Community Icon The first, middle and last 1 pt.


    name of your community icon

    Mugshot A mugshot (picture of your 2 pts.


    community icon)

    Time Period Years living (1973 – to 1 pt.


    present)
    Birthplace His/Her place of origin 1 pt.
    Cultural Similarity Your similarity with your 5 pts.
    community icon

    Location Place where he/she did/does 1 pt.


    his/her work

    Description A description of what your 3 pts.


    community icon is most
    famous for

    Pictures Pictures, graphics or 3 pts.


    illustrations of what your
    community icon is famous for

    Accomplishments A paragraph explaining how 5 pts.


    his/her accomplishment has
    benefited the community

    Appearance Two interesting facts about 2 pts.


    your community icon

    Quot A quote from your community 1


    e icon pt.

    Quality of Attractive, colorful, creative, 20


    Presentation and informative pts.
    presentation
    Total Points 45 pts.

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