Faro, Portugal, April 7, 2026 (Lusa) – The Algarve Firefighters Federation called for immediate government intervention to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices, warning that emergency vehicles risk being grounded due to insufficient financial support.
Speaking to Lusa, the federation’s president, Steven Sousa Piedade, expressed "grave concern" about the financial stability of fire departments, saying their funding and autonomy are severely limited.
“If we don’t have the money to refuel the vehicles, some will have to stop. We are talking about heavy fire engines and ambulances," he said.
Using the Cruz Lusa de Faro brigade as an example, he acknowledged that their weekly fuel consumption of 1,000 litres now represents an unbudgeted monthly increase of approximately €2,000, or €24,000 annually.
He also criticised the government's support measures, which allocated €360 per heavy vehicle and €120 per light vehicle, describing them as "insufficient".
On Monday, the government approved a temporary amendment to the fuel tax (ISP) regime to extend tax relief on fuel prices, which have been rising due to the conflict in the Middle East.
“The government says that the €120 is equivalent to a reduction of €0.10 per litre. In an ambulance, that amount is used up in two days of service,” he said, citing the example of a fire brigade such as Portimão’s, which carries out three to four emergency transports to Faro every day, saying that they were left with 28 or 29 days of the month without any support.
The Federation is advocating for an immediate and direct reduction of VAT and ISP specifically for fuel used by emergency services, rather than flat-rate subsidies, saying that “only then will it be possible to guarantee effective cost relief”.
Sousa Piedade highlighted the approaching peak season, a period that typically sees a significant increase in operational activity, and asked how brigades would cope without additional support.
The measures the government announced failed to serve the purpose of assisting the population, whether in pre-hospital emergency care, firefighting, or the transport of non-urgent patients, he said.
Comparing the situation to Spain, where a reduction of €0.60 per litre was implemented, Sousa Piedade said that without similar robust measures, brigades will struggle to maintain operations.
JPC/MYAL // ADB.
Lusa
