Fuerteventura Emergencies: A Defining Moment
The system is available, decision‑making fails
The forest fires that swept more than 400,000 hectares on the peninsula this summer—leaving eight dead and thousands evacuated—have exposed the main weakness of Spain’s emergency system: the lack of political will to activate protocols.
The island’s Head of Security and Emergencies, Fran Torres, the chief inspector of the Puerto del Rosario Local Police, Pedro Gordillo, and lifeguard Yamil Castañeyra underscored this point during a round‑table on the program La Voz de Fuerteventura on Radio Insular. They also agreed that Fuerteventura has markedly improved its emergency response capacity, although gaps remain—especially the shortage of human resources.
“The system, both to respond to emergencies and to serve citizens, is not working. The problem lies in decision‑making,” warned Fran Torres.
“All emergency plans have a technical direction, but the final responsibility is political.”
Pedro Gordillo stressed that, in an emergency, time works against you and “decisions must be taken from the outset.”
Risking One’s Life to Serve the Community
Torres recalled his experience two decades ago during Tropical Storm Delta, when “containers were flying, roofs were blowing off, and we went out onto the streets to answer residents’ calls.” “We were reckless,” he admitted, “but lives were saved. You know you’re risking your life, yet duty can outweigh that fear.”
Yamil Castañeyra highlighted the lack of practice with response protocols, which undermines effectiveness when a crisis hits:
“I would put more emphasis on rehearsing the action protocols. If they’re clear on paper but never practiced, efficiency is lost.”
He also criticized the fact that most lifeguards work for private companies awarded the service, arguing they “should be public employees as well.” While Torres and Gordillo did not state their positions on this proposal, they both stressed the need to improve working conditions to ensure quality service.
The debate also touched on the absence of long‑term planning and political resistance to unpopular measures.
“It’s very difficult to tell a politician, whose term is four years, that they must act now for something that will happen in eight years,” lamented Torres, pointing to Fuerteventura’s 100‑year flood‑risk map, which includes strategic sites such as the airport and the Congress Palace.
Emergencies in Fuerteventura: A Before and an After
Despite the shortcomings, professionals agreed that Fuerteventura has experienced a clear “before and after” thanks to notable improvements in recent years.
- La Oliva became the first municipality on the island to approve its own municipal emergency plan.
- Puerto del Rosario has already submitted its plan’s comments, and Pájara has commissioned the drafting of its municipal emergency plan.
- This week, the Cabildo de Fuerteventura awarded the drafting of the Municipal Emergency Plans (PEMU) for Antigua, Tuineje, and Betancuria.
These documents are crucial because, as Torres reminded, they provide “a diagnostic of the municipality, indicating its fundamental risks, organizational structure, who is in charge, and the resources available.”
Service Professionalisation
Torres praised the professionalisation of emergency services, noting that “today we have a corps of professional firefighters—well‑trained, informed, and ready to respond to any type of emergency.” He also called for the recovery of the volunteer force that has dwindled since Covid‑19.
Final Call
The experts concluded by urging public authorities to invest in this essential public service and appealed to citizens for “greater civility,” reminding everyone that the first line of defense in any emergency is self‑protection.