«Anyone cannot belong to the Tenerife Fire Consortium». The phrase of the insular president, Pedro Martín, summarizes the feeling of satisfaction and pride that reigned yesterday morning in the Noble Hall of the Cabildo during the inauguration of the ten professionals who join the staff of the entity dedicated to the extinction and prevention of fires on the Island. To these must be added 20 interims from the reserve list, who are already performing their functions, and another 20 to be incorporated throughout this year to partly configure the endowment of the long-awaited Güímar park, operational in March, according to forecasts. In total, 50 new troops to fight against urban fire, in principle, but “where it is necessary to act.”
Yesterday was a special day for those ten people who mostly wanted to be firefighters since they were children. They, their families – many children in the arms of their mothers and running around the living room – and friends they filled the room in a solemn ceremony because, as Pedro Martín said, “their lives will change from now on.” They will have another future after overcoming an opposition “hard as ever and long as ever due to the effects of Covid-19,” according to the island’s director of Security, Rubén Fernández. 400 people started the race to reach the finish line for these ten.
Although they are all the same, Óscar Pérez Afonso, Rubén Rodríguez Vera, Ubay Báez Barroso, David Román Lillo, Enrique Luis Aznar, Joel Delgado Moseguez, Carlos Hernández González, Pedro Luis García González, Guillermo Díaz Díos and Asier Amador Robaina. The latter, Asier, spoke on behalf of all to express gratitude and joy.
“We must assess that from now on 48 troops are on duty compared to the current 44”
In addition to welcoming the new professionals, two veterans were honored. It was the sense to make official the appointment as new zone heads of Luis Miguel Castro Hernández (South) and Vicente Jesús Cámara Correa (North).
The president of the Cabildo values this “important” reinforcement in the fire-fighting device on the Island and the fact that from this moment there are 48 firefighters on duty every day in Tenerife compared to the current 44.
The Tenerife Fire Prevention Consortium will add a total of 50 new specialist firefighters to its workforce this year, which translates into an increase of 20% over the total number of firefighters in the parks.
Pedro Martín indicated during the reception ceremony that “there are already 30 new members of the staff.” He announced that “throughout this quarter another 20 will do so, 10 of them to the new Güímar park, which is expected to open in March and another 10 spread over the other five that the Island has.”
The insular Councilor for Natural Environment Management and the Chief Fire Officer Florencio López Ruano also participated in the reception, as well as different personnel from the Consortium. The expansion of the firefighters’ staff has had an impact on the budget of the body dependent on the Cabildo. This year it amounts to 23.3 million euros, of which 31% is contributed by the island corporation, specifically 7.3 million. The rest is financed by different entities with special incidence in the Tenerife city councils.
three parks in the south
The next objectives are the Güímar parks, in the short term, Guía de Isora in the medium term and Arona with a greater forecast. In addition, the insular director of Security announced that “a new phase of the remodeling of the Tomé Cano park, in Santa Cruz, will begin at the end of this month, with a budget of one million euros.” One objective: to continue with the process of modernization of the Consortium of Firefighters of the Island.
Pedro Martín had an impact on the “healthy pride” of seeing the work of the Tenerife firefighters recognized. For example, during the eruption of Tajogaite on La Palma. In this regard, he recalled the praise of his namesake on Isla Bonita, Mariano Zapata. Martín concluded with another compliment:“The training they receive puts them at the level of any fire brigade in this country and any other.”
