The Tenerife Council and the Güímar Town Hall will implement a security operation comprising nearly 300 personnel for the Descent of Socorro, an event scheduled for Saturday, September 7, which is expected to attract around 100,000 attendees.
This team will consist of members from the Cabildo, Civil Guard, Local Police, Canarian Police, Civil Protection, and the Red Cross, and will be deployed along the six-kilometre route.
On Tuesday, Güímar Town Hall held a coordination meeting with all participating organisations, attended by Mayor Gustavo Pérez; Cándido Gómez, the Councillor for Safety and Road Signs; and the island directors for the Natural Environment and Safety and Emergencies, Pedro Millán and Iván Martín.
In a statement, Gustavo Pérez stated that “it is crucial to coordinate efforts to ensure a safe celebration” and expressed gratitude for the contributions from all participating organisations and authorities.
“We aim for El Socorro to remain welcoming and generous towards the residents of Güímar and visitors, while always prioritising safety measures. We have worked closely with the Council to implement security protocols safeguarding the badlands and the field hospital, as well as establishing waste management measures to facilitate collection throughout the event. We anticipate a high turnout given that it falls on a weekend, so we must be fully prepared as we may set a new attendance record,” Pérez elaborated.
Iván Martín highlighted that the Council is undertaking various initiatives, including the establishment of field hospitals, in collaboration with the Red Cross, situated both on the slope and at the football field.
“There will also be several clean-up points along the route with an innovative self-protection system, and the Güímar team from the Tenerife Fire Brigade Consortium will also be deployed,” he remarked.
Pedro Millán emphasised the importance of safeguarding the Malpaís de Güímar Special Nature Reserve, explaining that they have devised a series of measures aimed at its conservation, including a perimeter fence to restrict access to the large mountain cone, which is prohibited.
He stated that “we will have the support of Environment and Seprona agents from the Civil Guard to ensure adherence to regulations, allowing for the ascent and descent to proceed smoothly.”
Cándido Gómez noted that a substantial influx of visitors is anticipated, and it’s essential to maintain “coordination” among all authorities to ensure that attendees can fully enjoy the festival.
