Rota and Barbate have decided to keep their fire services separate from the Provincial Fire Consortium of Cadiz (CBPC), the entity coordinating this service in 43 out of 45 municipalities in Cadiz. Both local corporations prefer to manage their own resources for firefighting and associated emergencies.
Recently, both municipalities have faced significant fires. In Barbate, a virulent fire in the La Breña Natural Park threatened the El Olivar industrial estate, affecting a business incubator and a municipal public works facility. The fire forced the evacuation of 250 people and was extinguished in less than 48 hours with support from provincial consortium resources and the Infoca Plan.
The Barbate City Council has progressively strengthened its fire service, currently employing 14 firefighters, operating three trucks (two light pumpers and one heavy urban pumper), an all-terrain vehicle, a command vehicle, and an advanced command post. The council believes these resources adequately equip them for any emergency, positioning them as one of the best-equipped fire stations in Andalusia for similarly sized municipalities. The stabilization of 12 positions and the creation of 8 new ones are planned in the Public Employment Offer.
Barbate's decision not to join the Consortium stems from economic responsibility. Having been part of the Consortium until 1996, rejoining would incur an annual cost of approximately one and a half million euros, an amount the municipality deems unmanageable given its current financial situation and historical debt. Instead, the local government prioritizes investment in its municipal service. Additionally, the service receives an annual subsidy of approximately 80,000 euros from UNESPA, designated for improving safety and resources.
Sources from the Provincial Fire Consortium of Cadiz state that integration is a municipal decision and that safety is not compromised by independent management. Municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants are covered by the Provincial Council, while larger ones must have their own resources or join an association. Chipiona, for instance, will soon join the Consortium. The Consortium assures that support for non-associated municipalities is fluid and routine through Coordinated Emergency Management, prioritizing the protection of people and the environment, as seen with firefighters from Malaga in the Sierra de Cadiz or support for Valencia during the DANA.
The Consortium emphasizes that pooling resources typically offers greater availability, even if management is ceded to the entity. Facilitation for joining is offered, as expected for Chipiona. The case of Vejer is mentioned, where a plot of land is being negotiated for a future fire station within the Consortium, although location discussions are stalled.
Rota remains outside the Consortium due to an agreement with the Naval Base, whose personnel handle emergencies in the municipality. The recent fire at the Naval Base is under investigation, with potential causes linked to pyrotechnics from the July 4th celebrations. Despite military backing, the Rota City Council incorporated a heavy rural pumper truck for Civil Protection a year ago, adding to existing equipment.
The province of Cadiz has about twenty fire stations managed by the Consortium and three forest defense centers of the Infoca Plan. The Consortium divides the province into three zones: Bay of Cadiz, Jerez countryside, and Bay of Algeciras, with specific staffing levels for central, main, and reserve stations. Concerns are raised about the high average age of current staff, with one-third nearing retirement, prompting the need for new positions.
Projects for new fire stations in Sanlúcar and Puerto Real are being tendered due to the obsolescence of some current facilities. In Olvera, a municipal plot has been approved for a new fire station. In Vejer, an agreement on a suitable location for a fire station remains elusive.
