tenerife emergency preparedness programme

Tenerife launches emergency kit training for residents

Compiled with the help of artificial intelligence, based on Spanish-language information. Source below the article.

Tenerife launches permanent emergency preparedness programme

The Cabildo de Tenerife is to launch a permanent awareness and self-protection programme aimed at the island’s entire population, including children, older people, families and visitors. The institution describes the initiative as unprecedented in Spain, and it will begin on 17 September in Garachico.

Teaching islanders to build an emergency kit

The programme, which will be run jointly with Cruz Roja, aims to improve public readiness and foster a culture of prevention in the face of any type of emergency, the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, announced at a press conference on Friday. One of the central elements of the sessions will be preparing a household or family emergency rucksack or kit, and Cruz Roja will use practical, playful resources to teach families which items are essential and which are optional.

Among the basic items that can be included are water, underwear, a blanket, face masks and a mobile phone charger, although Cruz Roja stressed that each family should adapt the contents to its particular needs. One family might need to add specific medication, while for others it might be important to carry a photograph of a relative. For children, it can also be useful to include an object that gives them a sense of security, such as a soft toy.

The goal is that families do not necessarily have to prepare several rucksacks, but instead include both the general items and those specific to each household in a single bag, after reflecting together on what they would need if they had to leave their home. To work through these contents, Cruz Roja has prepared a game based on the mechanics of Tetris, in which participants must select, using pictograms, the objects to include in a rucksack with limited capacity. Families will therefore have to decide which items are indispensable and which can be left out.

What to do during an evacuation

The awareness materials recommend finding out the exit route in advance and following official instructions in the event of an evacuation. If it is necessary to stay at home, they advise closing doors and windows, taking shelter and waiting for official instructions. The Cabildo also stresses the importance of consulting official sources such as 112, the Cabildo itself, Protección Civil and local councils, and of verifying information before sharing it, especially during an emergency.

Living with volcanic, fire and flood risks

The Cabildo has insisted that Tenerife lives with risks such as volcanic activity, forest fires, flooding, wind, extreme temperatures and coastal phenomena, and argues that the aim is to know those risks and how to act, not to live in fear.

Garachico and Guía de Isora lead the way

Garachico and Guía de Isora will be the first municipalities to host the training, as both already have their evacuation plans prepared and are also linked to the volcanic eruption drills carried out or planned. A volcanic eruption drill was held in Garachico last year, and according to the Cabildo its results highlighted the existence of a “very robust” civil protection system, although they also identified areas for improvement in terms of coordination. A further drill will take place in Guía de Isora on 22 October, with more than 1,500 people expected to take part, according to the institution.

Reaching residents and visitors alike

The president of the Cabildo said the programme aims to reach around one million residents of Tenerife as well as the floating population, through the various agents and organisations linked to the tourism sector. To that end, the Cabildo is working with Turismo de Tenerife and the hotel sector on protocols and an app that would show, in the event of an emergency, the places available for possible relocations and the number of people staying in each establishment, as well as training hotel security managers.

The initiative also includes actions aimed at professional bodies, including those representing property registrars, notaries and property administrators, as well as the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, with the aim of helping the population maintain their homes, businesses and way of life after an emergency.

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