Portugal city to build new fire station

Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the association’s president, Jorge Gariso, explained that this has been “a long-standing need.”

“Our current facilities are becoming too small for our fleet of vehicles and for our growing fire brigade,” he stated.

Gariso further justified the need for a new building by pointing to the fire station’s current location—in the heart of Condeixa-a-Nova—and the age of the existing structure.

“In terms of accessibility, operational efficiency, and emergency response, our current location is far from ideal, as we sometimes have to drive through the town. Furthermore, the station is over 40 years old and suffers from structural issues that require constant repairs,” he noted.

The announcement regarding the public tender for the construction of the new fire station was published in the *Diário da República* (the official gazette) last Friday.

The project has a base price of four million euros, excluding VAT, and an 18-month completion timeline.

Jorge Gariso said the new station will be located at the town’s “northern exit,” on a plot of land the association acquired “more than ten years ago,” which offers much better accessibility.

“We are talking about a brand-new facility, built from the ground up and tailored to the specific needs of our fire brigade. It will provide more space to house our vehicles and offer better comfort for our firefighters, including improved living quarters,” he highlighted. Jorge Gariso also highlighted the Condeixa-a-Nova City Council’s support in bringing the project to fruition, saying the association alone could not have taken this step “were it not for the help of the municipality.

In addition to “providing assistance and overseeing the tender procedures,” the municipality is providing funding to the association under an agreement to help cover its bank loan repayments.

With the Condeixa-a-Nova fire department investing in the new fire station, the next step is to apply for EU funding with the local authority’s support.

“The maximum level of funding we could potentially secure—which would be excellent—is 85% of the project’s total cost,” said Jorge Gariso.

The deadline to submit proposals for the new fire station is 8 November at 5:00 pm.