The equipment, valued at R$ 120,000, includes signal repeaters, vertical and directional antennas and will benefit PrevFogo/IBAMA, Fire Department and Civil Defense.
Reflecting the U.S. commitment to combating climate change, and in support of the Comprehensive Fire Management Plan in the Pantanal, on Thursday (23) the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will donate emergency communication equipment for fire prevention and fighting to the government of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS). The equipment, valued at R$ 120,000, includes 10 radios, 10 signal repeaters, 10 vertical and 10 directional antennas and will benefit the agencies involved in fighting forest fires in the state, such as PrevFogo/IBAMA, Fire Department, Civil Defense. Signal repeaters will facilitate emergency radio communication in cases of forest fires and other possible disasters. Once installed, the equipment can transmit a signal within a 500km radius, which will facilitate communication between the different local institutions and fire brigades in the field.
The first donation will be installed in the State Park of The Springs of Taquari, a transitional area between the Cerrado and the Pantanal that is part of a vector of 15 conservation areas, in which more than 30% of the 30,600 hectares of the park was burned in 2020.
“As we developed our technical assistance, we heard that developing additional communications capability for the response teams of multiple agencies would be crucial. As a result, USAID/BHA agreed to donate communications equipment requested through the NGO Brazilian Task Force,” explains Vicence Lapolli, risk management specialist with the USAID/BHA Regional Disaster Assistance Program.
The project was coordinated by the USAID Office of Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) and was initiated last year. In addition to the equipment donation, the project provides technical assistance and training. On September 24, a four-day course of Administrative Bases for Risk Management (BAGER) will be conducted for members of the MS Fire Committee.
The equipment donation will include participation by the Governor of Mato Grosso do Sul, Reinaldo Azambuja, U.S. Press Officer, Natalia Molano, Secretary of the Environment, Jaime Veruck; the Secretary of Justice, Secretary Carlinho; the president of the Brazilian Task Force, Galeno Rocha; and the state coordinator of civil defense, Lieutenant Colonel Fábio Catareneli.
Service:
Event: U.S. donates emergency communications equipment to prevent and fight forest fires in the MS
Date: September 23, 2021
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Secretary of State, Government and Strategic Management Avenida dos Poetas, s/n – Parque dos Poderes, Campo Grande – MS.
