Construction work on the first Fire Station in the Los Vélez region is nearing its final stages after surpassing the halfway point of its execution period. The president of the Provincial Council of Almería, José Antonio García Alcaina, and the mayor of Vélez-Rubio visited the old municipal warehouse that will be converted by the end of the year into a new fire extinction unit. This facility will reduce response times in Vélez-Rubio, Vélez-Blanco, María, and Chirivel. During the visit, the president and the mayor were accompanied by the president of the Levante Firefighters Consortium, Rosa María Cano, and council members from the Vélez Rubio City Council.
The future facilities, covering 600 m², are the result of the Provincial Council's commitment to the province's 103 municipalities. The station, scheduled to become operational by the end of 2026, has an execution budget exceeding 600,000 euros, including commissioning and equipment. Funding is shared equally between the Consortium, the Vélez-Rubio City Council, and the Provincial Council itself.
The president of the Provincial Council described the works as "historic" and a "demand from an entire region" that will guarantee safety. He highlighted the generosity of the mayor and residents of Vélez-Rubio in ceding the space and emphasized the project as an example of institutional collaboration. "This is a very important project to ensure the safety of the region's residents," he stated, confirming that the station will be operational before the year's end and will depend on the Levante consortium.
For his part, the mayor of Vélez Rubio, Miguel Martínez – Carlón, stressed that the commissioning of these facilities translates into greater "safety and prevention," particularly relevant as they are located within the Sierra de los Vélez and Sierra María Natural Park, an area with a high incidence of fires.
The Vélez-Rubio City Council has ceded a 360 m² municipal industrial warehouse that is being completely transformed and expanded to over 600 m². The future station will have two floors: an operational area with a garage for three vehicles, a workshop, and a compressor area; and a personnel area with a gym, lockers, rooms, a kitchen-dining room, and a study area. The station will be staffed by 4 firefighters 24 hours a day.
Currently, the Levante Firefighters Consortium has a staff of 83 professionals and plans for 22 new positions to serve approximately 50 municipalities from Níjar to María, covering the regions of Almanzora, Levante, and Los Vélez. This summer, the Níjar Fire Station became operational, already ensuring the protection of residents in that region and neighboring municipalities such as Carboneras, Lucainena, and Sorbas.
