Since the beginning of the year, fuel prices have risen by around 30%, representing a significant impact on the accounts of humanitarian firefighter associations. According to the estimate of the Guarda District Firefighters' Federation, each Association already bears, on average, approximately 4,000 euros in additional fuel costs, in a context where ambulances and emergency vehicles must continue to circulate every day.
The Guarda District Firefighters' Federation, led by its president Cláudio Serra, argues that identifying the problem is not enough — concrete solutions must be presented. Among the proposals are the creation of a specific regime that allows fire brigades to bear fuel costs at a reduced rate, and the creation of a response mechanism for exceptional fuel price increases, based on objective and previously defined criteria.
The article also highlights the issue of non-urgent patient transport, an essential activity particularly relevant in the low-density territories of the country's Interior. A trip can represent dozens or hundreds of kilometres, several hours of ambulance deployment, and significant costs, but the current remuneration does not always match the actual cost of providing this service. The Federation advocates for the revision of the non-urgent patient transport table and the creation of a periodic mechanism for updating values.
The article concludes that the issue is even more relevant in the country's Interior, where the distance
