This week, we conducted interviews with some of our partners and beneficiaries, including the Officer of the Pombal Volunteer Firefighters and a retired General of the GNR (National Republican Guard).
After reaching out to the Pombal Volunteer Firefighters in person, we were able to schedule a meeting immediately, which demonstrated their genuine interest in collaborating with us on our project. During this meeting, we sought answers to key questions, such as: What procedures are currently in place for monitoring their vehicles? Which parameters are already being monitored, and which additional ones would make sense to track? Through this discussion, we learned that their current monitoring process involves firefighters manually inspecting all vehicles every morning and recording the data in an application accessible to all team members. The primary parameters currently monitored are those relevant to most vehicles. However, they also shared some additional parameters that are not yet being tracked but would be valuable to monitor. These include: the water level in tanker trucks, GPS tracking for all vehicles, the air level in air tanks, automatic data entry during emergencies, and the battery levels of ambulances and their equipment. Interview conducted by Rodrigo Santos.
In our interview with retired General of the GNR, we discovered that the GNR’s vehicles, primarily light vehicles, are equipped with intercom systems, emergency lights, and sirens in addition to the standard features of a regular light vehicle. Given the importance of these vehicles and their high frequency of use, they are required to undergo monthly and daily check-ups. The monthly check-ups include inspections of brake fluid, headlights, emergency lights, tires, sirens and horns, battery, windshield washer fluid, and coolant. The daily check-ups focus on intercom systems, emergency and headlights, oil and windshield washer fluid levels, and sirens and horns. These inspections are carried out manually by the officer assigned to the vehicle’s station, both for daily and monthly checks. Additionally, vehicles undergo mandatory annual inspections if they are less than 7 years old, and every 6 months if they are older than 7 years. Interview conducted by Luís Viegas.
These insights have been invaluable in understanding the current monitoring practices of our partners and identifying areas where our project can provide meaningful improvements. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and exploring innovative solutions to enhance their operational efficiency.