When the refinery shift ends and volunteering begins

Miguel Vicente and Gilmar Paixão Nascimento have different lives, but they share something in common: they work at the Sines refinery, are volunteer firefighters, and divide their days between work, the fire station, and family. It’s a routine made up of shifts and a commitment to the community that continues beyond working hours.

Gilmar Paixão Nascimento left Brazil to start a new life in Portugal with his family. The goal was simple: to ensure a better quality of life and safety for his wife and their three children.

He found work at the Sines Refinery as a safety operator and, shortly after, became connected with the Santiago do Cacém Fire Brigade through Humberto Campos, the corporation’s deputy commander. That conversation would end up changing his routine. “Humberto invited me to join as a volunteer. I didn’t hesitate, and I’ve been here for three years now,” he recalls.

The biggest challenge has been managing everything at once. Between work, which takes up weekdays, and family life, the fire station has become a third commitment that is hard to fit in. “There were times when I fell short because of priorities,” he admits.

Gilmar Nascimento: safety operator at the Sines Refinery and volunteer firefighter

Even so, he didn’t step away. On the contrary, he brought his family along. His wife is also a volunteer firefighter, and on weekends they take turns: while one stays with the children, the other goes to the fire station.

During wildfire season, the commitment intensifies, and Gilmar even uses his vacation time to be more available. When he is needed most, the choice is clear: to be present.

What remains after the shift

What keeps him in volunteering also comes from the relationships he has built. With Humberto Campos, the connection long ago went beyond the fire station: they play football together, train at the gym, and stay in touch outside of work. “Sometimes I send him a message and he calls right away: ‘Is everything okay? Do you need anything?’” Gilmar says. He pauses before concluding: “He’s one of the people who helped me the most. A true friend I’ll carry with me for life.”

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Volunteering, he admits, leaves emotional marks. “Sometimes we start to fall apart, and getting back up is hard if we don’t have someone by our side who listens to us at any hour.”

And through it all, the reason that brought him here remains. “It’s a difficult job, but at the same time very rewarding. We know that if we’re not there to help the community, something worse could happen. That’s what motivates me.”

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111 years of history

The Santiago do Cacém fire station is the oldest in the municipality and was at the origin of other brigades in the region. Today, it has 105 operational members, of whom 32 are salaried. Most, like Gilmar, are volunteers. Even among professionals, the spirit remains. Humberto Campos explains:

“Everyone, regardless of being professionals, are volunteers. They work from Monday to Friday, and on weekends they volunteer. It’s passion—something you can’t explain.”

At the doorstep of the Santo André fire station

Miguel Vicente was 16 when he first joined the Santo André Fire Brigade as a volunteer. He lived right in front of the old building and grew up watching the vehicles come and go, listening to the siren—a fascination that quickly became part of his routine. One day, he signed up as a volunteer with a group of school friends, more out of curiosity than anything else, and ended up staying.

Twenty-three years later, he is the brigade’s deputy commander. “It was never my goal to get here. It came through an invitation, and I accepted the challenge because I have always been very active,” he says naturally.

Today, his children, aged 6 and 10, are also growing up with the fire station nearby, just as he did. “When I’m on duty, they’re often here riding their bikes and playing in this fenced space. Our priority is to combine personal life with volunteering.”

His work at the Sines refinery, where he is a safety operator, helps organize his days. On afternoon shifts, he uses the mornings to stop by the station. “I come here every day,” he says. This constant presence explains what keeps him there. “When we embrace this cause, we gain a second family here. And sometimes it becomes the first—there are incidents that mark us and bring us closer to these people as if they were our own family.”

A fire station that almost didn’t reach 37 years

Santo André Fire Station

The Santo André Fire Brigade has marked its 37th anniversary. It is a young station in a city that grew around the Sines industrial zone. However, a few years ago, the station’s future was at risk. At the end of 2022, the association was in a fragile state, but with a new board and new leadership, things took a different direction.

A new management team, with strong ties to the Sines refinery, took the lead in reviving the association. Step by step, the organization was reorganized. “We went from 15 to 23 salaried staff. We managed to regularize overdue wages and put things in order. All with the collaboration of Galp,” recalls Miguel.

Support the fire brigades

Santo André & Santiago do Cacém

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Knowledge that generates revenue

One of the ways in which the Santo André Fire Brigade has found to generate revenue is through training. Firefighters provide specialist training within the refinery, as part of a partnership that recognises their value. At the same time, the station also offers training to companies and provides facilities for training sessions.

The Santo André fire station currently has 52 firefighters. For the area it serves – a parish with nearly 11,000 inhabitants, in a zone with a refinery, petrochemical plant and port – this is an insufficient number. As Miguel Vicente points out, “when we have a more complex incident, we always need more people”.

Where the firefighter arrives first

On a typical day, the Santiago do Cacém station responds to six or seven pre-hospital emergency calls. On more demanding days—especially summer weekends when the town receives more people—that number can rise to 10 or 12. Most interventions are related to emergency transport. “The firefighter is present in every situation. It’s the woman who feels unwell, the person who had an accident, a fire—there’s a firefighter there,” says Humberto Campos.

In Santo André, the situation is similar: pre-hospital care dominates most of the daily work, followed by road accidents. But there is an added concern due to proximity to the Sines industrial zone. Miguel Vicente acknowledges that this context requires very specific resources and preparation. “We are not as prepared as we should be. If an incident occurs in the industry, we have to rely on the industry itself being prepared to receive us.”

In these territories, distance is part of daily life for firefighters. For example, in Santiago do Cacém, from the station headquarters to the farthest points in the municipality can be nearly 50 kilometers.

The population is aging, dispersed, and often alone. This leads to another type of calls. “There are people who call the firefighters at one in the morning just to talk,” Humberto shares.

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Protecting those who protect us

Outfitting a firefighter costs at least €1,000. Boots, trousers, a jacket, a helmet and gloves: an essential kit to ensure safety during any operation. The problem is that there isn’t always the financial capacity to equip all frontline staff.

“I’ve even bought equipment out of my own pocket so that other colleagues could have something to wear in the field,” admits Miguel Vicente. Humberto Campos is categorical: “Those who don’t have the equipment to save lives cannot save them. And we cannot put our operational staff at risk.”

Tax donations make a difference

In fire stations where every piece of equipment counts and where volunteers continue to underpin much of the operation, tax donations can have a direct impact on day-to-day life. In Santiago do Cacém, the funds will be channelled towards personal protective equipment. In Santo André, the priority is to upgrade equipment, improve working conditions and ensure stability in day-to-day management.

Support from the Galp Foundation has been a vital help to both fire stations, through the provision of helmets, trousers, jackets and fuel for the fleet. In this last area alone, the Sines refinery provides annual fuel cards representing savings of several thousand euros.

Even so, the needs remain. And for those who live amidst shifts, sirens and unexpected calls, small gestures can make a very tangible difference on the ground.