Comienzan las Jornadas Profesionales de Seguridad y Emergencia en Fuerteventura

Gran Tarajal brings together firefighters, local police, civil protection, civil guard, Canary Emergency Service, and national police in the first Professional Security and Emergency Conference

The event emphasizes the need for continuous specialization, enhancing coordination between departments, and giving visibility to professionals

The Professional Security and Emergency Conference of the Fuerteventura City Council, taking place in Gran Tarajal on May 8 and 9, brings together agents and leaders from various departments responsible for prevention and immediate intervention in critical situations on the island. The extensive and diverse program of the Conference showcases the high professional skills of these professionals and emphasizes that Fuerteventura is a safe island.

The opening ceremony was attended by the president of the Fuerteventura City Council, Lola García, the insular councilor of Security and Emergencies, Lolina Negrín, the mayor of Tuineje, Candelaria Umpiérrez, the director of the insular Health area, Tomás Pérez, and the insular director of the General State Administration, María Jesús de la Cruz.

President of the City Council, Lola García, highlighted the great opportunity these conferences represent to strengthen coordination between administrations, emergency departments, organizations, and citizens. “That is why, for two days, fundamental strategies such as planning, action protocols, and the importance of communications during emergencies will be addressed.” Lolina Negrín added that “this type of training will continue to be provided to personnel in the municipalities of Antigua and Betancuria, where the Fuerteventura City Council has competencies in Security and Emergencies.”

The councilor of Security and Emergencies, Lolina Negrín, stated, “We want the coordination between departments in Fuerteventura to be excellent, and we want citizens to see and value these professionals because their high expertise is also an intangible asset for the tourism sector and the Fuerteventura economy.”

The mayor of Tuineje, Candelaria Umpiérrez, expressed gratitude for hosting the conferences in the municipality. “They are important because they serve to update regulations but also as a moment of reflection and coexistence for those who work to save lives. Unity in the face of emergencies is crucial.”

Tomás Pérez, director of the Health area, pointed out that “the conferences allow professionals to share experiences and information. Having all security, emergency, and health professionals from Fuerteventura present is very important.”

The insular director of the General State Administration, María Jesús de la Cruz, celebrated “the organization of these conferences since it is important to work in coordination, have a clear communication protocol, and know what resources we have at a human and material level in each area.”

With the organization of this event, the City Council, through the Department of Security and Emergencies, emphasizes the need for continuous specialization of agents (an ‘invisible’ training effort until they are in action), enhancing coordination between departments, and giving visibility to professionals to highlight them to citizens and the tourism sector.

These Professional Security and Emergency Conferences of the Fuerteventura City Council have the collaboration and support of the Tuineje City Council, the Government of the Canary Islands, and the Government of Spain, as well as firefighters, local police, civil protection, civil guard, Canary Emergency Service, and national police.

The Conferences

The Professional Security and Emergency Conferences are divided into two sessions, on May 8 and 9. The first day, at the Insular Library of Gran Tarajal, will feature presentations and roundtable discussions under the theme ‘Strategies of coordination and planning in emergencies: training, protocols, and communications in action.’ The second day, at the Gran Tarajal Fairground, will host educational workshops and practical exercises in emergency coordination.

The different presentations addressed the current state of competencies in security and emergency management on the island of Fuerteventura, the regulatory framework in this area, as well as the importance of coordination and planning. Additionally, communications in emergencies and disasters were analyzed, and there was a discussion on coordination in real emergencies.

The second day will focus on the practical application of the discussions from the first day. There will be visits from schools with workshops conducted by different professionals.

There will be a fire workshop with a vehicle exhibition showcasing materials, equipment, and PPE, focusing on fire intervention; a traffic accident workshop with a vehicle exhibition presenting materials, equipment, and PPE, focusing on traffic accident intervention; a PAS workshop: Protect, Alert, Rescue, the three steps to save lives; a CPR workshop: Hands-on learning CPR and how to make calls to 112; a AED (Automated External Defibrillator) workshop. A simple explanation of what it is and how it works; and a Road Safety workshop.

There will also be a Drug Test exhibition and a simulated traffic accident with multiple collisions, several victims, entrapment, victim’s families in the area, potential altercations, and more.