The vehicles and personnel of the FOCON, the force sent by Portugal to aid Valencia

Two weeks after the cold snap disaster in Spain, the Spanish authorities have finally agreed to accept international aid.

“We are Soldiers of Portugal”, a video showing the materials of the Portuguese Army
The Rangers of the Portuguese Army: this is the Special Operations Force (FOE)

Specifically, these days the arrival of personnel and vehicles from Portugal, France and Morocco is planned. In some cases this help was offered immediately after the disaster occurred, but its arrival has not been authorized until now, something absolutely inexplicable.

The contingent sent by Portugal is called Joint Civil Protection Force (FOCON). Its deployment from Portugal began on Tuesday, November 12. This contingent is made up of personnel and vehicles from the Portuguese Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as civilian personnel and vehicles from the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), the Lisbon Firefighters Sapper Regiment, the Volunteer Bombeiros, the National Institute for Medical Emergencies (INEM) and the National Maritime Authority (AMN).

The Portuguese contingent is made up of 101 people and 40 vehicles. Of these, the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) provide 28 people and 12 vehicles, with the rest provided by the aforementioned civilian institutions. The mission is headed by a civilian, the regional commander of Emergencies and Civil Protection of Alentejo, José Ribeiro.

The Portuguese Armed Forces are sending two backhoes, one high-flow sewage pump, two motorized sewage pumps, two low-flow sewage pumps, one rotary excavator, one wheel loader, two transport trucks and one Bobcat (a small backhoe).

FOCON civil institutions provide three backhoes, a high-flow sludge pump, six wastewater pumps, a high-flow wastewater pump, a sludge pumping module and five electric sludge pumps.

FOCON assembled and departed for Spain from the barracks of the Portuguese Army's 5th Artillery Regiment (RA5), in the town of Vendas Novas, district of Évora, 46 kilometres west of Lisbon. You can see some photos of this contingent here. Many thanks to our Portuguese brothers!

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Photos: Exército Português / Marinha Portuguesa / Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil / Regimento de Sapadores Bombeiros - Lisboa.