Costa Blanca
Elche air raid shelter opens to the public on Friday April 11th

The inaugural shelter constructed during the Spanish Civil War has been accessible to the public, as announced by the Department of Culture and Tourism. Last December, this entirely renovated facility was inaugurated at the Jardín de la Concordia on Paseo de Germanías.
Irene Ruiz, the councillor for the area, has announced that as from yesterday, Monday, April 7th, appointments can be made. However, visits will not commence until Friday, April 11, as they must be requested at least 72 hours in advance via the City Council website (https://www.elche.es/refugio-no1-del-paseo-de-germanias/). The activity must be authorised as extracurricular by the corresponding School Council in the case of school groups.
Visits must be scheduled on the specified days and times, Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The minimum group size is 15 individuals, and the maximum group size is 21, and admission is free. The tour is suitable for all ages, lasts approximately 45 minutes, and is 117 metres in length.
Shelter No. 1 on Paseo de Germanías is only one of thirteen shelters constructed in the city during the Spanish Civil War. The construction was designed to safeguard the civilian population from prospective air attacks; however, this function was never realised, as the city of Elche was never bombed.
Its architecture, which consisted of lengthy, parallel corridors, was originally designed with three entrances; however, only two were ever completed. These entrances have been restored and are now accessible to the public for excursions.
The air-raid shelter located on Paseo de Germanías is the most architecturally intricate of all the urban shelters. It is comprised of two long parallel corridors that are connected by four transverse passageways and can be accessed by descending 18 metres. The compacted earth floor and masonry walls that were its original features were replaced with concrete in the 1950s.
Information panels, photographs, signage, and lighting are present throughout the tour of the facility, which is now a museum.
Irene Ruiz reminded visitors that the sanctuary is not accessible to individuals with reduced mobility due to the absence of an elevator. Instead, there are two 87-step staircases. Additionally, there are no facilities, prams must be folded down during the visit, pets are prohibited, and the shelter’s or tour guide’s instructions must be adhered to at all times.
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Costa Blanca
Man arrested for robbery with force in Elche hospital and another for assault

National Police officers have arrested a 43-year-old man for allegedly perpetrating a burglary within a hospital in Elche. The private security personnel were aware of the suspect, who had broken into 14 containers in various locations he had visited, and they notified the police.
Although the individual fled to a nearby neighbourhood, patrols promptly apprehended him. Among his possessions, they found a variety of medical supplies and instruments purportedly used to break into the lockers.
This individual was apprehended by officers for the purported offence of burglary, as determined by the information gained. Following the police investigation, the detainee appeared before the investigating court on duty.
Arrested for an attempted assault at a different facility in Elche
An incident of violence against medical staff occurred at another local hospital in the wake of an attempted assault by a 34-year-old man who had recently been discharged.
The private security team of the centre was compelled to promptly intervene in response to the attacker’s aggressive behaviour, thereby preventing the situation from escalating and causing additional harm.
The individual was promptly apprehended by a police detail, who identified him as the alleged perpetrator of a crime that involved the assault and damage of healthcare workers. They subsequently arrested him.
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Costa Blanca
FGV will allocate 1.4 million euros to cleaning the rolling stock and workshops of the Alicante TRAM

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) will allocate €1,415,203.59 to clean the rolling stock and workshops of Alicante TRAM for a period of one year from the commencement of the contract, which also includes the possibility of an additional year’s extension.
The contracted services ensure the quality and frequency of the necessary cleanings, both daily and non-daily, as well as any unforeseen incidents or problems, such as graffiti or any other form of vandalism, by considering all the requirements associated with the cleaning of TRAM d’Alacant’s rolling stock and workshops.
At present, the rolling stock of TRAM d’Alacant comprises 37 units: 22 Bombardier 4200 series trams; 9 TRAM trains from the former Vossloh España company, which is now Stadler Rail Valencia; and 6 dual-drive (electro-diesel) trains from Stadler Rail Valencia, which are manufactured in Albuixech. These trains were retired after the modernisation work on Line 9 between Benidorm and Dénia was completed.
The 37 units for maintenance are housed in the three facilities that are currently available: El Campello, Benidorm, and Dénia.
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Costa Blanca
Police in Alicante train officers to patrol on motorcycles with greater safety and efficiency

This week, nearly twenty agents from Alicante, Elche, Benidorm, Castellón, and Valencia have participated in a National Police course on motorcyclist safety specialisation.
The objective of the course developed in Alicante by the national police’s road training unit is to “ensure that all colleagues are safer and provide a more efficient service to the “citizenship,” according to officer Jose Manuel Paniagua, one of the four instructors from Madrid, Valencia, and Castellón who have taught the course.
The instructors have been instructing fifteen unit agents of prevention and reaction (UPR) on how to patrol more safely on their large-displacement motorcycles, which weigh between 160 and 200 kilogrammes each.
Paniagua has emphasised the importance of technical mastery of the vehicle in various scenarios, as well as visual planning and anticipation.
In order to achieve this, they have been conducting closed-circuit exercises on a track and on provincial roads with curved sections. Some of the exercises that are practiced in the course include emergency braking, changing direction and curve paths, getting on and off moving motorcycles and stops, and conducting low-level escorts while maintaining balance without putting your feet on the ground.
The instructor asserts that the course enables the participants to “improve the defects or vices they have when driving,” despite the fact that the majority of them are seasoned agents who provide service to the Alicante Motorcycle Groups and other cities in the province.
The course is derived from the English Driving Style, which has been embraced by numerous security forces and organisations worldwide. “It is a model that prioritises anticipation, security, and vehicle control, without compromising efficiency or reaction capacity,” explains Paniagua.
Instructors prioritise three fundamental aspects in their interactions with the agents: the agents’ feet and their position while driving, the use of brakes, and the gaze. The gaze is considered crucial for safety, as it provides the driver with anticipation.
Motorcycles enable the National Police to respond more promptly to emergencies; however, they also pose a greater risk to police officers. The objective of the course is to guarantee the safety of officers while they are serving and travelling. Consequently, the instructors emphasised to the police that they are unable to assist anyone if they do not arrive at the correct location.
The officer also concludes that the agents have been trained in the fundamental skills of stress management, decision-making under pressure, and reading the environment, which are necessary to intervene in actual scenarios without compromising the safety of oneself or others.
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