The Orihuela City Council will deploy enhanced security measures on the coast during the summer season, according to a presentation held on the Playa Flamenca esplanade yesterday, Tuesday June 17th. The goal is to ensure the safety of inhabitants and visitors during a time of year when the population in this area grows rapidly. The occasion was attended by Orihuela Mayor Pepe Vegara, Councillors Mónica Pastor (Citizen Security), VÃctor Valverde (Civil Protection and Emergencies), Manuel Mestre (Coast), and Rubén Selma, Local Police Superintendent.
Mónica Pastor, Councillor for Citizen Security, indicated that the operation will be conducted on land, sea, and air, with a total of 56 persons, including officers and commanders. In addition to human resources, technologies such as drones for aerial surveillance will be implemented, with two officers specialising in their operations; the maritime operation will include two jet skis, three officers, and one officer who will patrol the bathing areas and respond quickly to any incidents along the coast. On land, the operation is backed up by 51 Local Police officers, three officers, and the coastal coordinators, Inspector Monserrate Vegara and Officer Encarni Camacho Páez.
Superintendent Rubén Selma, currently the acting leader of the Local Police Headquarters, will oversee all these resources. Pastor emphasised that this reinforcement is the result of the “firm commitment of the government team to coastal safety,” and that “work is being done to ensure that these resources are not limited only to the summer months but can be maintained throughout the year.”
The councillor also expressed her appreciation for the “work, effort, and commitment” of all the men and women who comprise the Local Police force, emphasising their professionalism and duty in safeguarding the safety of residents and visitors.
Councillor VÃctor Valverde of the Department of Civil Protection and Emergencies has announced that the operation would be reinforced with a first-responder truck that will run seven days a week, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. This team will act both independently and in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, particularly under the special beach plan, and they will pay special attention to coastal forest areas to prevent careless behaviour or potential fires. Furthermore, the Department of Civil Protection and Emergencies will deploy two additional workers to provide coverage in the city centre of Orihuela.
Valverde emphasised that this quick reaction truck “allows us to respond immediately in the first minutes of a fire until the firefighters arrive,” and applauded the efforts of Civil Protection volunteers, who will supplement the operation, particularly on busy days.
The Councillor for the Coast, Manuel Mestre, expressed his satisfaction with the initiative’s implementation: “It’s a very necessary measure, because during the summer months the population on the coast doubles, resulting in a greater need for security, traffic control, and emergency response.” We have a full team, with resources on land, sea, and air, to handle this demand.”
Finally, Orihuela’s mayor, Pepe Vegara, stated that “for another year, we are strengthening the Local Police and Civil Protection services on the Orihuela Costa to maintain a high level of security during the months when most people visit our beaches.” Vegara continued: “Our goal is to make these reinforcements less and less necessary, achieving a stable workforce year-round on the coast.”
The mayor used the opportunity to remind the City Council that it continues to request more Guardia Civil personnel from the Government Subdelegation while also maintaining contact with the Valencian Regional Government to ensure that forest firefighters are permanently stationed at the coastal emergency centre.
“We aim for a prompt response to any risk situation, particularly forest fires, which, while we hope they won’t happen, necessitates our readiness to combat them from the outset,” Vegara stated to the audience. The mayor closed his statement by applauding the Local Police officers and Civil Protection staff for their devotion and dedication, saying, “They are the genuine protagonists of this operation.” Residents and visitors to Orihuela Costa can now feel safe on a daily basis.
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