At the end of October, the Monchique bombeiros received much needed firefighting equipment from the German company, Reineke & Coll, after company director, Raymund Reineke, organised for the equipment to be transported to Portugal.
In all, the German Post Office transported approximately 4,000 metres of fire hose, suction baskets, hoses and six large transportable pumps. The donation also included fire protection suits for 15 firefighters. Raymund has previously organised three similar aid packages for local fire departments throughout Portugal. But this huge humanitarian aid effort was organised in response to the summer fires in Monchique, where large tracts of the area suffered forest fires.
The new equipment will allow the bombeiros to fight next year’s forest fires, but a large fire engine is still needed, and Reineke & Coll intend to organise such a vehicle by next spring. Needless to say, the Monchique bombeiros were extremely grateful for the donation.
