GES helicopter rescue of a hiker feeling unwell in the Masca ravine. A news story from the past weekend, but very common throughout the year, including interventions by the Firefighters of Tenerife. Also in the Teide National Park or as what happened on January 19 in a rugged area of Anaga, specifically in Chinamada (La Laguna). These actions have led the Consortium for Fire Prevention and Extinction to provide the Island’s fire stations with rescue and high-altitude work materials.
The entity responsible for safety and emergency services, an area of the Tenerife Island Council that manages them, has approved an instruction on vertical work techniques applicable to any type of intervention at height, confined spaces, and other fall risks. It is the guide that directs the actions.
The Consortium has progressively renewed all vertical work equipment since 2022 with an approximate investment of 200,000 euros over these two years. All this equipment is subject to annual inspection, in accordance with current regulations and recommendations for vertical work.
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Individual equipment. The individual assignment equipment consists of harnesses, anchorage straps, fall arresters, connectors, specific blockers, helmet, goggles, headlamp… In other words, everything related to the equipment that each firefighter wears during a high-altitude operation.
Rescuer backpacks. A total of 46 backpacks make up the equipment of Tenerife firefighters. They contain everything necessary for the ascent and descent of a professional. This includes ropes, descent equipment (brake, descender), ascent equipment (pedal, handle, and blocker), safety (ASAP, absorber), and installation (plates, straps, steel cable…).
Rescue backpacks. A total of 28 backpacks, including the necessary materials for the evacuation or extraction of the affected. Descenders, blockers, pulleys, harness, evacuation triangle and all kinds of additional materials (links, carabiners), etc.
Self-rescue backpacks. 24 backpacks with material for the personnel who assist in case any of the rescuers encounter difficulty. Similar to the rescuer backpack, but with less equipment.
Other equipment. In addition to the above, nest stretchers with hoisting accessories, speleological equipment, and Kong type equipment for mountain rescue are also provided.
Emergencies. In addition to the twenty firefighter driver specialist positions, the Consortium also approves the creation of a new auxiliary position for the 112 control room this year due to the need to cover shifts for personnel working 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Similarly, to address the current deficit in the Administration department, two other positions are offered, one in the legal field and the other in the economic field, in order to strengthen the Personnel and Economic-Financial units of the Tenerife Extinction Consortium.
The Tenerife Firefighters Consortium approved the number of personnel on the Island with respect to the 2023 workforce with an increase in the offer by twenty new positions by 2024. This year the opening of two new professional parks is planned in Guía de Isora –at the end of spring and beginning of summer– and Arona –in the last quarter of the year–. In addition, due to the recent opening of the Güímar Park, and given the need to meet the minimum daily staff, the partial allocations for 2023 to cover the opening of that center will be provided in full during the course of 2024 to configure a staff total of about 230 firefighters on the Island. | JDM
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