Forest Firefighters Criticize Generalitat for Not Being Called During DANA

Forest firefighters of the Generalitat have criticized in a statement that they were not mobilized for tasks related to the DANA that hit the region. The Professional Union of Local Police and Firefighters (Spplb) has expressed in a statement that they feel 'the population has been deprived of an essential emergency service like ours, fully equipped and staffed with material and human resources'.

The union expresses its deepest support and solidarity towards the neighbors affected by the DANA. 'As emergency workers of the Generalitat, many of us have also been directly or indirectly affected by the floods'.

The association explains in a written statement that on October 29, almost all forest firefighter units were sent home at the end of the regular day when the Poyo reached 2,500 m3/s, 'equivalent to five times the Ebro'. The next day, the service barely sent teams to the affected areas, being a 'basic intervention resource of the special flood plan'.

According to the statement, the crews of the six firefighting helicopters had authorization from Rotorsun to perform support tasks for rescue and logistics. 'At that time, the affected populations had residents awaiting evacuation and professionals unable to reach the area by road. No one gave the order to use these valuable resources. We simply did not exist for the operational management'.

The union claims that they have long advocated for having 'their own autonomy' as an essential emergency service. They believe it is the natural step that the Valencian Emergency Agency (Avsre) should take to complete a project that has been stalled for years and causes significant deficiencies in response to citizens due to operational delegation to local means. 'We have seen it with other DANAs, with snowfalls or with the pandemic, but we also see it every day in forest fires', they point out.

Furthermore, they claim to be the only regional emergency service available to the agency and the presidency that does not need intermediaries. A powerful tool that can be mobilized swiftly for multi-emergency scenarios like the current one. Because, in addition, 'we are fully versatile professionals: just as we collaborate in assisting and rescuing the population or pumping out garages, we also tow vehicles, shovel mud, unclog drains, or help remove furniture. Because we are here for whatever is needed'.

The group indicates that many forest firefighters have approached the affected areas as best they could to voluntarily join their units' tasks. 'Because it is difficult to assimilate that in the most challenging moments of the floods, most of us remained at our bases without being mobilized, except for some units that, breaking protocol, went on their own to collaborate in the urgent rescue tasks'.

'Therefore, we have a debt with the citizens. It is too early to make decisions, but we already announce that from today, we will fight to ensure this does not happen again. We have a debt to settle and from today, a promise to fulfill. Direct mobilization now, without intermediaries. The population should not have to wait', they conclude.