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The Lisboeta

Firefighters complain about INEM strike notice

Wednesday, 18 February 2026AI summary

🩺 Health 🏛️ Government #emergency-services #public-safety #healthcare #expat-wellbeing

Firefighters complain about INEM strike notice — Photo: Correio da Manhã

Correio da Manhã and Observador report the Firefighters' League said it received inadequate notice about how services would operate during a strike by INEM staff, raising concerns about emergency coverage. The dispute involves the National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM) and the Firefighters' League (Liga dos Bombeiros). Residents in affected areas should monitor local emergency-service announcements until the dispute is resolved.

Update: Firefighters say strike notice on services insufficient

Both Correio da Manhã and Observador quote the Liga dos Bombeiros saying the notice about how services would be organised during the INEM action was inadequate, heightening worries about gaps in emergency coverage.

Context & Explainers

The National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica), known as INEM, coordinates Portugal’s pre-hospital emergency care, ambulance dispatch and medical response to 112 calls. It matters to expats because INEM is responsible for ambulance response times and on-scene care — incidents like the reported three-hour wait in Seixal can trigger investigations, affect public confidence and influence how quickly you can expect help in an emergency.

The Portuguese Firefighters' League (Liga dos Bombeiros Portugueses) is a national, non-governmental association that represents and coordinates many of Portugal’s fire brigades—particularly volunteer corps—and advocates for training, equipment and fire-safety policy. It frequently engages with government and the media on emergency-response standards and resource needs, so expats should know it can influence local fire services, public safety campaigns and how mutual aid is organised in their municipality.