The President of the Provincial Council, José Antonio García Alcaina, personally presented the digital document to the mayors, which will serve as an action guide for any emergency in these towns. This initiative, pioneering at the regional level, was carried out at no cost to the town councils and is part of the newly created Provincial Emergency Center of the Diputación de Almería (CEDA), under the provincial strategy ‘Almería 103’.
The event, held in the Patio de Luces of the Provincial Council, was attended by the Government Delegate of the Junta in Almería, Francisco Góngora; the mayor of Roquetas de Mar, Gabriel Amat; and the president of the Poniente Firefighters Consortium, José Crespo. Once updated, the PTELs must be approved in Municipal Plenary sessions and homologated by the Junta de Andalucía.
García Alcaina emphasized that these plans are the primary tool for guaranteeing citizens' lives and property, highlighting the benefit for all residents of Almería and the Council's commitment to supporting town halls. He expressed pride in providing these 49 towns with a clear roadmap for reacting to floods, fires, or catastrophes. He recalled that the CEDA is already managing the reconstruction of municipalities affected by the recent fire in Bédar, Los Gallardos, and Lubrín.
Government Delegate Francisco Góngora highlighted the importance of territorial emergency plans for identifying risks, organizing resources, and coordinating responses, especially in a province with risks such as forest fires, extreme weather phenomena, and floods. He stressed that prevention is the best civil protection policy.
The mayor of Roquetas de Mar, Gabriel Amat, thanked the Provincial Council for its efforts and praised the work of the Poniente Firefighters, who serve 53 municipalities, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between administrations and the focus on prevention.
The acting president of the Poniente Firefighters Consortium, José Crespo, described the development of these 49 plans as one of the largest emergency planning projects in the province of Almería, a technical and human challenge that has resulted in complete, editable, and individualized plans with their own cartography, covering 2,900 km² and nearly 99,000 inhabitants.
The beneficiary municipalities are: Abla, Abrucena, Alboloduy, Alcolea, Alhabia, Alhama de Almería, Alicún, Almócita, Alsodux, Balanegra, Bayárcal, Beires, Benahadux, Bentarique, Berja, Canjáyar, Castro de Filabres, Dalías, Enix, Felix, Fiñana, Fondón, Gádor, Gérgal, Huécija, Huércal de Almería, Íllar, Instinción, La Mojonera, Las Tres Villas, Laujar de Andarax, Lucainena de las Torres, Nacimiento, Ohanes, Olula de Castro, Padules, Paterna del Río, Pechina, Rágol, Rioja, Santa Cruz de Marchena, Santa Fe de Mondújar, Senés, Tabernas, Terque, Turrillas, Uleila del Campo, Velefique, and Viator.
The CEDA, physically located in the Palacio Provincial, integrates all the Council's services and organizations, coordinated by the Presidency Area and following the guidelines of 112 and the Plan de Emergencias de Andalucía. It will be activated for emergencies affecting the Council's assets or those of municipal, supramunicipal, regional, or national scope requiring provincial resources.
The PTEL, framed within the Territorial Plan for Civil Protection Emergencies of Andalusia (PTEAnd), is fundamental for Town Halls. It establishes a Unified Operational Framework, Proactive Risk Identification, a Clear Command Structure (Mayoralty, Advisory Committee, CECOPAL, PMA), and promotes Resilience and Prevention.
