Residents of Ribeirão Vermelho and the Niterói neighborhood (in Lavras) will participate, on Saturday, September 19, in the Evacuation Drill of the Emergency Action Plan (PAE) of the Funil Hydroelectric Power Plant. The exercise will begin at 10 am and will have the participation of Aliança Energia, the Municipal Coordinators of Protection and Civil Defense (COMPDECs) of the two municipalities, the Military Police and the Fire Department of Minas Gerais.
The initiative is part of the continuous prevention and education measures provided for in the PAE and is aimed at people living on the banks of the Rio Grande Basin below the Funil HPP dam, in the so-called Self-Rescue Zones (ZAS). About 80 professionals will be mobilized for the activity, which is expected to last approximately one hour.
The team of volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. to receive final guidance and a kit with vests and questionnaires. Afterwards, the participants will go to the meeting points, where they will wait for the sirens to be activated and the population to arrive, previously instructed about the exercise.
“The drill is a prevention and education action that allows us to put into practice the procedures provided for in the Emergency Action Plan and prepare the community and others involved to know how to act in a possible risk situation. It is an important training, which contributes to the continuous improvement of safety actions and for everyone to know their responsibilities”, highlights Willian Rosa, coordinator of the Funil HPP.
This will be the third drill carried out by Aliança Energia with the two communities, with the previous exercises taking place in 2019 and 2023. In addition to this preventive drill to train the population, Aliança carries out monthly siren tests, always on the first Wednesday of the month, which aim to certify that the equipment installed in the remote stations is properly receiving the activation command.
On September 19, 2026, at 10 am, upon hearing the voice message and the sounding of sirens, residents of Ribeirão Vermelho and the Niterói neighborhood, in Lavras, should go to the nearest Meeting Point. To do so, they can be guided by the escape route signs or the PROX app.
PROX expands communication with the population
In 2026, Aliança Energia expands the communication and preparation tools for the population with the use of PROX, an application developed to integrate the population into the civil protection and defense system, initially aimed at supporting institutions in Minas Gerais. The platform brings together contacts of the main response agents, such as the Civil Defense public agencies, the Fire Department and the Military Police, enabling real-time monitoring of information regarding risk areas. The application also indicates escape routes, meeting points and self-protection procedures that help the population in emergency situations.
The registration of the Funil HPP and the Emergency Action Plan allows users registered in PROX to receive alerts and information related to the areas covered by the hydroelectric plant. As a result, during the simulation, the application will also be used by Aliança Energia to send alerts to registered users, informing and reinforcing the population that it is a training.
The initiative continues the campaign carried out in the Funil HPP region to encourage leaders and communities to register their phones on the platform. The objective is to expand adherence to the application and familiarize the population with another communication tool and preparation for risk situations.
PROX is free and to use it, the user must download it from the app store, register the cell phone number and allow access to the location. The platform allows you to visualize risk areas, helps the Civil Defense map vulnerable areas more accurately and keeps users informed and prepared.
Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
In compliance with the National Dam Safety Policy, the PAE was prepared by Aliança Energia, a document that defines the response strategies for any emergencies at the Funil Plant dam, in addition to establishing interfaces with the protection and Civil Defense agencies. The municipalities located below the dam already have an alert and prevention system so that the population is warned and knows how to orient themselves effectively in the event of any event.
Since 2019, the sirens that make up the alert system have been tested periodically and the community is guided through campaigns and communication actions on how to proceed in case of emergency.
The PAE is accompanied by the Working Group formed by Aliança Energia, Civil Defense, Fire Department and Military Police. Each institution has specific responsibilities within the plan, contributing to prevention, preparation and response actions.
Safe structures and permanent monitoring
Aliança Energia clarifies that all hydroelectric dams operated by the company, including the one at the Funil HPP, located in the municipality of Perdões, remain stable and safe, fully complying with current legislation. They are classified as low risk by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel). The safety of the structures involves conservation, preventive maintenance, 24-hour monitoring of structures and weather conditions, the performance of specialized technical teams, the use of state-of-the-art equipment and inspection by regulatory agencies.
