Changing the risk prevention culture, in a municipality in Rio de Janeiro, through the Apell Process

The Alert and Preparation of Communities for Local Emergencies Process, which was created following a resolution from the United Nations - United Nations Environment Program in 1987, with the purpose of acting in aggravated emergency situations, has as its main guideline the alert to the community about the possible risks in the manufacture, handling and use of hazardous materials. In Duque de Caxias, the Alert and Preparation of Communities for Local Emergencies Process has been headquartered in the Campos Elíseos neighborhood since 1999, where it carries out interaction between companies linked to the Petrochemical Complex with the population surrounding the Complex, raising awareness, through lectures on the risks of accidents and natural and technological disasters, recommended in Ordinance 260/2022 of the Ministry of Regional Development, pointing out their threats, leading to the understanding of vulnerability and, also promoting the carrying out of training and qualification of volunteers. Thus, Community Civil Protection and Defense Centers are formed, which function as community leaders, which support the Municipal Protection and Civil Defense Coordinators, which carry out work with a direct impact on minimizing damage and creating a culture of risk prevention for the population. . The research proposed here aims to stimulate reflection on the performance of the Process in the municipality of Duque de Caxias in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, through a qualitative and exploratory methodology, where professional actors, from the large area of ​​protection and civil defense, will be directly participating in the creation and qualification of Community Civil Protection and Defense Centers created in the surrounding area and in the Municipality, the result of which will be the implementation of the precept of the National Civil Protection and Defense Policy, with regard to the social participation of the community, in the reduction of its vulnerability, becoming stronger socio-environmentally and more resilient.