The council uses for the first time drones with thermal imaging cameras in the campaign against forest fires this summer. The island president Peter Martinindicates that “firefighting equipment cannot be limited to traditional tools but must be adapted to technologies and make use of them”.
Martín emphasizes this idea: «Forest fire control and extinction resources can no longer be limited to a fleet of vehicles, manuals and hoses, but it is essential to evolve in the endowments and adapt them to the new possibilities offered by cutting-edge technologies» . He adds that “due to this we have incorporated three new drones with two types of cameras, one traditional and the other thermographic, which will allow reaching inaccessible points and even fly at night when a helicopter cannot do it in the essential reconnaissance tasks.”
«With the start-up of these devices, which They have already acted this week in an attempt produced in Santiago del Teide that affected two hectaresthe firefighting technicians will be able to locate hot spots and thus finish off outbursts and fires in a more efficient way”, points out Pedro Martín.
“This endowment, which is coupled with training for the agents who operate the drones, is a pioneer in the planning of campaigns against fires on the islands, and will open a door to technology that had not been produced until now. in Tenerife”, recalls Martín.
«It is a commitment of the Cabildo to renew the endowment of BRIFOR; we have started to do it with the replacement of some vehicles and next year we will continue changing fire trucks that have become obsolete”, explains the president, who adds: “It is incomprehensible how in something as delicate as firefighting there has been no investment to always be up to date. He considers that it is “something fundamental to be able to respond to any contingency that occurs.”
Otherwise, with the In order to improve the capabilities of this year’s firefighting operation, a continuous training program will be carried out throughout the campaign, where questions about intervention are addressed in two especially significant areas in Tenerife, such as extinction techniques in large fires and actions in interface fires.
maximum caution
The Cabildo activates the highest level of precaution for forest fires in the face of high temperatures. The Minister of Management of the Natural Environment and Security, Isabel García, calls for “prudence and common sense in the face of the situation of extreme heat in the coming days, which can cause serious problems in our mountains”. The declaration of forest fire risk also implies the activation of the Insular Territorial Emergency Plan (PEIN)
Due to the situation of maximum alert dictated by the Directorate of Security and Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands, with special attention to the midlands, high areas and summits, the Island Council reminds the population that activities in forest areas are suspended and limited the stay and the transit in the mount until the declaration is lifted, at the moment without a date.
Councilor García points out that in the next few days there will be a “heat episode with temperatures between 32 and 38 degrees and probable local values that will reach or exceed 40». In addition to very dry and warm air. He points out that there will also be “haze and very little relative humidity in the environment”, for which he points out “we request strict compliance with security measures.” Among them, the use of forest spaces is limited, both trails, tracks and recreation areas, as well as those of machinery or tools that can produce sparks, the execution of forest exploitation and recreational and camping areas.
Isabel García calls for “prudence and common sense in the face of the situation of extreme heat, which can cause serious problems in our mountains.” She reminds the population “of the need to be aware of the uses so that there are no attempts or alarms.”
Training 600 Civil Protection volunteers
The Cabildo trains 600 volunteers from Civil protection in the municipalities of the Island within a new model of prevention and response to fires that prioritizes proximity and the appropriate organizational structure. The experience of the interface fires of 2020, half forest and half urban, in seven municipalities at the same time, has served for reorganization. The Island Councilor for Security, Isabel García, presents, together with the president of the Red Cross, María Teresa Pociello, a training program divided into nine courses. García indicates that it is the first time that an insular plan is established in which the contents will be homogeneous so that the volunteers have the same training. The Red Cross contributes 25% of the total program budget. It is intended for 18 local groups and six Civil Protection associations with four locations: Tacoronte, Santa Cruz, La Orotava and Candelaria. Courses on first aid, civil protection plans, traffic and road safety, basic social skills, communications, theory of fire and use of fire extinguishers, volunteer management, chainsaws, basic life support and defibrillators will be taught.
