Learning Task 7: Read the article carefully. Then, in your notebook, answer the questions that follow. Use annotations to get the main idea of the selection. Community spirit drives volunteer firefighters in Portugal By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela Staff This summer, 2,000 Portuguese firefighters battled a deadly, weeklong wildfire that killed 64 people. Besides facing serious danger, these firefighters had something in common: they were doing it for no pay. Over 90 percent of Portugal's firefighters are volunteers. From lawyers to construction construction workers, they take time off work to risk their lives. The volunteer fire departments donated money to pay for their equipment. Source: Cadavido (2020) where they work need During the summer fire season, firefighters are often sent to fires far from their homes. Then the government pays these brave men and women $2 an hour. The volunteer firefighters usually give the money to their fire departments. Sense of Duty Pushes Volunteers Hugo Simoes is a 33-year-old bombeiro, or firefighter. In June, he was sent to the country's deadliest wildfire. He says a sense of duty and brotherhood drives the volunteers. "We do it out of community spirit," he says. Volunteer firefighters are not uncommon in Europe and beyond. More than 97 percent of German firefighters United States that figure is around 70 percent. But in Portugal, these volunteer In the services are the front line in emergencies. There are just seven paid fire departments in the country. are volunteers. Cultural Tradition a Simoes works for Portugal's oldest fire department, the Bombeiros Voluntarios de Lisboa. It was created in 1868 in the capital city of Lisbon. For him, the volunteer spirit shown by generations of firefighters is not remarkable. It is a cultural tradition. "Here in Portugal, it has been like this for a long time," he shrugs. "We like what we do. On hot days when we could go to the beach, we come here to the fire department instead." Simoes works full-time doing administrative the fire department. He earns around $700 a month. In June, there was a huge blaze about 90 miles north of Lisbon in Pedrogao Grande. Simoes set off with four vehicles and their crews.
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