Federal government supports Legal Amazon states in acquiring firefighting equipment

The Brazilian ministries of Environment and Climate Change (Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudança do Clima/MMA), and Justice and Public Security (Mistério da Justiça e Segurança Pública/MJSP), together with the Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDES), held a workshop on Thursday, April 10, with representatives from the Fire Departments of the Legal Amazon to expedite the acquisition of essential equipment for combating forest fires.

Accoreding to André Lima, MMA's Extraordinary Secretary for Deforestation Control and Territorial Environmental Management, the meeting reinforces the cooperation between the federal government and the states in combating and preventing fires in the biome. "The goal is to seek synergy through increased integration and coordination. It is a crucial agenda for strengthening and effectively implementing the National Integrated Fire Management Policy," he said.

Support for the purchases will be enabled through price registration records. Under this model, the Federal Government conducts a bidding process and makes the record available, allowing states to join and purchase the items they need without launching a new tender.

Items such as smothering devices, blowers, drones, pickaxes, climate meters, and personal protective equipment can be acquired more efficiently.

Also participating in the workshop with the Fire Departments were Camila Pintarelli, Director of Management at the National Public Security Fund (Fundo Nacional de Segurança Pública/FNSP), and representatives from the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Republic. “We have the opportunity to carry out joint interministerial work, demonstrating the strength of this federative integration,” Pintarelli emphasized.

Since last year, the Amazon Fund (Fundo Amazônia) has increased resources for the states of the Legal Amazon (Amazônia Legal) to combat forest fires. Funding has so far been allocated to strengthen the Fire Departments of Maranhão, Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Roraima, Pará, Mato Grosso, and Rondônia. Each state will receive up to BRL 45 million, from a total of BRL 405 million in non-reimbursable funds available to support the departments.

The funding aims to reinforce the structure of the Military Fire Departments in these states and enhance their efforts in preventing and combating forest fires and unauthorized burnings.