The staff of the provincial fire consortium in Cádiz faces an uncertain future due to the imminent retirement of approximately one-third of its personnel. This circumstance, added to the existing lack of staff, could seriously compromise the guarantee of the essential public service, according to union warnings.
Ángel Hernández, secretary of the Bomberos Unidos union, points out that the current, already difficult, situation will worsen if urgent measures are not taken. Fire stations are facing the summer with a significant staff shortage, and the ongoing selection processes will not conclude until after the summer season. Holiday coverage will be managed through an extension of the hour bank, which represents an additional burden for an aging workforce subjected to physically demanding work with 24-hour shifts.
The Job Classification (RPT) recently agreed upon by the Consortium and unions estimates the need for 676 workers. Currently, the provincial entity has not provided the exact number of employees, but the union insists that shifts often lack a firefighter, a critical situation in three-person crews where the service operates with only two. The RPT details the necessary distribution of 632 firefighters across the province's various stations and zones, in addition to 44 administrative and technical staff positions.
The ongoing selection processes aim to incorporate 41 new firefighters and 23 chief officers. However, David Ávila, another union member, argues that these figures are insufficient to cover the current vacancies resulting from retirements, which already exceed fifty. The creation of new positions has been limited over the past two decades, and the 90 positions committed by the Consortium to alleviate the staff shortage, divided into two calls, appear to be stalled.
The union also denounces the existence of 'ghost firefighters,' personnel for whom municipalities pay but who are not operational due to staff shortages. An example is given of the central station in Jerez, where the RPT plans for 67 firefighters but only around 60 are present, implying that the municipality might be paying for a service not rendered on each shift.
“"It has been more than twenty years since a new position was created."
The Consortium has highlighted efforts made to improve working conditions, including the approval of the RPT and the Regulatory Agreement, which foresee salary increases and greater service stability. Nevertheless, the high average age of the staff and the social security reduction coefficients due to the arduous or toxic nature of their work place the average retirement age around 61 years. This confirms the projection of one-third of the workforce retiring in the coming years. The call for new positions and future planning are considered essential to guarantee optimal service delivery.
