According to information from the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), the Guarulhos and Congonhas Airports, in Greater São Paulo, are operating flights, and boarding engers, without the Fire Department Inspection Report (AVCB).
The AVCB serves to prove the capacity of the place to fight fires in an emergency, in this case, the terminals, which are used to process engers, are without this fire permit.
According to information from the Fire Department, enger terminals 1 and 3 had an approved technical inspection and AVCB valid until April 16 and August 23, 2019, respectively. Terminal 2, on the other hand, did not have an approved technical inspection, which prevented the issuance of the permit. An on-site inspection carried out in February of this year found a series of faults in this part of the airport, including the inoperability of the fire alarm systems and the pressurization of the emergency stairs.
The inspection by the Fire Department also found that escape routes and emergency exits from the building were compromised by improperly obstructing the safety stairs.
In addition, both terminals 2 and 3 underwent a general change in their internal layout, which implied changes in the coverage of the hydrant systems, manual fire alarm triggers, escape routes and emergency exits – differing from what is included in the Project Previously approved Fire Safety Technician. Irregularities were also identified in Terminal 1, where fire protection and safety measures were inoperative in a warehouse used as a warehouse.
Faced with the failures found, the Fire Department instituted istrative processes for canceling the AVCBs of terminals 1 and 3, granting deadlines to the concessionaire for regularization. The agency also notified the Municipality of Guarulhos about the lack of a license for terminal 2, so that appropriate measures could be taken.
“As much as the concessionaire claims that it is complying with the legislation, the issue is an old one, and it took an impetus from the MPF for it to take action. We need a schedule with more delineated deadlines. The concessionaire promised to present a timetable in ten days. We will supervise each step for the regularization of the AVCB. Including, the Fire Department will schedule the inspection of terminal 2 for January”, said Attorney General Guilherme Göpfert, from the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), responsible for the investigation.
The concessionaire GRU Airport declared that works to regularize this situation are taking place in terminals 1 and 2, which are for domestic flights. All works will be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2020.
Infraero actually declared that Congonhas and Campo de Marte operate without the AVCB, but there is a process of reforms to adapt the terminals, however Infraero is waiting for a visit from the Fire Department to point out additional adjustments.
The MPF stated that all terminals at Guarulhos Airport, even the cargo terminal, never had the AVCB. The Fire Department will need to indicate a timetable and deadline for regularization.
Congonhas and Guarulhos are the two airports with the largest enger movement in the country, totaling more than 60 million engers ing through the terminals in the year.
