SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, December 24. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Department of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands has designed for ‘Christmas Eve’ a guard team in the 112 rooms made up of about 30 people including demand operators, CECOES staff and SUC health workers, a coordinated device with the rest of the security bodies and forces, and which this year has been reinforced with localized guards in view of the forecast of inclement weather due to DANA that has been affecting the Islands this weekend.
The counselor, Manuel Miranda, highlighted this Sunday the work of the professionals from the different bodies and organizations that make up the emergency and civil protection system on the islands and thanked them for the effort they make on a night like this Sunday, Christmas Eve. , which they will spend outside their homes and without the company of their family and loved ones.
Miranda traveled this Sunday morning to the Puerto del Rosario Fire Station, in Fuerteventura, to send a message via video conference to the service professionals in the operating rooms of 1-1-2 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, as well as the technicians of the General Directorate of Emergencies and the different rescue teams of the Emergency and Rescue Group (GES), who remain on duty today.
“This is my first Christmas in charge of emergencies in the Canary Islands, and I could not fail to send a message of recognition, admiration and affection from my island, from Fuerteventura, to all the professionals from the different services who continue to ensure our safety in a night as special as this. I am very aware of the effort involved in working these days and I thank you from the bottom of my heart on behalf of all the Canarian people for your dedication and sacrifice,” said Manuel Miranda in a note sent by his department.
The Minister of Territorial Policy described it as “a privilege and a true honor to lead the great human team behind emergency response in the Canary Islands, which this year has received almost two million calls, which represents an average of more than 5,000 calls a day, and it involves an enormous technical and professional effort.”
Manuel Miranda recalled that 2023 has been an “especially hard year, with two large forest fires in La Palma and Tenerife, an energy zero in La Gomera, repeated episodes of haze and high temperatures as a result of climate change, and a migratory crisis that has “response capacity has been pushed to the limit”, but they have also served to demonstrate that the Canary Islands can feel “very proud” of the magnificent professionals of CECOES 1-1-2, the SUC, the GES, the forestry brigades, the firefighters , Maritime Rescue, the UME, the Red Cross and so many organizations, institutions and volunteers that work tirelessly, and with magnificent coordination so that they can “sleep peacefully” and know that they are “in good hands, even on Christmas Eve.”
The Minister of Territorial Policy also reiterated the commitment of the Government of the Canary Islands to strengthening the emergency and civil protection system of the Archipelago, with a new structure in the General Directorate of Emergencies that will come into operation in 2024, the contribution of more material means, a decided commitment to technological innovation, and the promotion of a culture of prevention and self-protection in the population.
CALLS GROWN BY 16.7% LAST YEAR
Both on Christmas Eve and at the end of the year, the number of calls to the Canary Islands Government’s emergency telephone number, 1-1-2, increases. Specifically, on the night of December 24 of last year, the calls answered increased by 16.7%, compared to the daily average, going from 1,716 to 2,003 calls.
Regarding incidents coordinated from the operating rooms, these increased by 11.1%, going from 646 to 718.
By type of incident, those related to firefighting were the ones that experienced the greatest growth, standing at 133.3%, with 28 incidents, compared to the 12 coordinated on another day of the month; followed by technical assistance, which increased by 34.6% (35 compared to 26); and*incidents related to the security sector, whose increase stood at 14.4%, with 301 services compared to 263 attended on another day of the month.
Regarding the health sector, last Christmas Eve the SUC attended to 317 incidents, 5.4% more than the average for the month, with 297 services.
However, accidents experienced a slight decrease during the night of December 24, when 41 accidents were recorded, six less than the average.
