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Jan 4, 2025 | 
portugalresident.com | David Thomas
With a focus mainly on communication, in 2024 we published around 3,600 items on our Facebook (page and groups); produced 40 newsletters; undertook around 30 Crime Check features on Kiss Fm Solid Gold Sunday and wrote 12 safety and security features for the Portugal Resident. As a qualified Civil Protection Volunteer Organisation, our Facebook coverage includes the daily monitoring of major incidents such as rural fires.
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Dec 13, 2024 | 
portugalresident.com | David Thomas
Nothing can ruin the Christmas spirit faster than becoming a victim of crime. The good news is that many crimes are preventable, and this is, therefore, the focus of this feature. What we are doing at Safe Communities Portugal is launching our Twelve Days of Christmas – Crime Prevention Campaign.
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Oct 5, 2024 | 
portugalresident.com | David Thomas
The main causes of minor floods are obstructions to the circulation and regular drainage of rainwater. This can be due to: materials accumulated at the mouths of drainage systems; blockage of roadside water channels; the abandonment of waste from agricultural, forestry and inert material extraction activities along communication routes and within water courses. Rural firesVegetation is crucial for slope stability as it offers root support, regulates water content, and protects the soil surface.
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Sep 6, 2024 | 
portugalresident.com | David Thomas
The earthquake, measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, was recorded at 5.11am on Monday at the mainland’s Seismic Network stations, with its epicentre around 60 kilometres west of Sines. Through the online macro-seismic questionnaire, more than 19,000 testimonies referring to the effects of this earthquake have already been received at IPMA.
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Aug 28, 2024 | 
housingtoday.co.uk | David Thomas
Planning reforms alone will not boost housebuilding to 1.5m homes By David Thomas 2024-08-28T06:00:00 While impressive, Labour’s planning shake-up will need to be accompanied by demand-side measures, falling interest rates and support for affordable housing if we are to truly boost housebuilding, writes David Thomas Since we woke up to a new Labour government at the start of July there has been a significant shift in gears on housing.
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Aug 8, 2024 | 
portugalresident.com | David Thomas
Whether we are walking in the hills, sun bathing on the beach, swimming in pools or in the sea or enjoying the levadas in Madeira, there are certain precautions we should all take to avoid accidents or worse. One of the great attractions in Portugal is its weather, and thus enjoying outdoor activities. To maximize this enjoyment I have put together some of the advice provided by government in order to create awareness and therefore reduce the risk of an accident occurring.
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Jul 9, 2024 | 
azbigmedia.com | David Thomas
As technology advances, so does the need for improved fire safety measures in business environments. In the past, fire safety was primarily focused on preventing and extinguishing fires through manual means such as fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers. However, with the rise of technology in recent years, new methods and standards have been developed to enhance fire safety in businesses, including fire extinguisher testing.
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Jun 7, 2024 | 
portugalresident.com | David Thomas
Weather forecasts are crucial for various activities in our daily lives, including planning outdoor activities, agricultural operations, transportation, and more. For example, farmers need to know when to plough, sow, and harvest their crops based on weather conditions. Similarly, transportation industries need to be aware of potential storms or adverse weather conditions for safety reasons.
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May 4, 2024 | 
portugalresident.com | David Thomas
The scale of money laundering is difficult to assess, but it is considered to be significant. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that between 2 and 5% of global GDP is laundered each year. That’s between €715 billion and €1.87 trillion each year.
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Apr 3, 2024 | 
housingtoday.co.uk | David Thomas
Recent surveys suggest that housebuilders’ customers are more satisfied than is often portrayed in the media, writes David Thomas
It’s fair to say that media headlines on housing are not always positive. Why is this? There are lots of factors at play including the high cost of the purchase, the emotional investment from customers and media appetite for stories about bad housing.
As most people in the country have a home, of whatever tenure, everyone has a view on housing.
