Lisbon City Council is the executive body of the Municipality that performs powers enshrined in the Law and is responsible for defining and executing policies that promote development in different areas of the city, such as economic activities and innovation, environment, culture, sport and youth, education, housing, social development and health, urban planning, security and safety, mobility and transports. The City Council consists of 17 elected councilors representing different political forces, with 1 being the Mayor and 16 councilors.
The Municipal Assembly is the deliberative organ of the municipality and monitors and supervises the activity of the Municipality (the President and 75 municipal deputies). There are 13 major organic units (municipal directorates).
The Civil Protection Service (SMPC- Serviço Municipal de Protecção Civil) is a local authority under the structure of the Lisbon Municipality responsible for city management and daily emergency, during crisis and exceptional conditions to prevent collective risks and their effects in cases of disaster or accident inside the city limits.
SMPC works in articulation with the National and District Civil Protection Authorities.
Its mission is to identify risk situations with likelihood of occurrence inside geographical limits of the city.
Specialist areas of expertise for CML can be summarized as follows:
- Risk Analysis: forecast, survey and evaluation of collective risks such as: extreme meteorological conditions (intense precipitation, strong wind, speed and gusts, thunderstorm, strong fluvial and maritime agitation and storm surges), floods; earthquakes; tsunamis; sliding; road traffic and airplane accidents; transport of dangerous goods/ gas stations; critical infrastructure and building collapse; industrial accidents; urban and forest fire; etc.
- Emergency Planning: prepare and coordinate the Municipal Emergency Plan, Special Emergency Plans (such as seismic risk, forest and urban fires, estuarine and airport accidents, extreme meteorological situations and so on) and Event Plans (sports, religious, cultural, musical and political), stimulating the authorities commitment in civil protection activities;
- Public information and awareness: inform the citizens about collective risks and transmitting preventive attitudes and behaviors in order to minimize risk situations (preparedness and training);
- Operations and training: individual intervention at accidents, incidents, events and other risk situations;
• Psychosocial support: in daily emergency situations in case of big disasters and after in recover phase.
Please click the link for further information @ http://www.cm-lisboa.pt/en/city-council/city-council