“Our different plans for inclement weather are prepared based on the experience accumulated in previous campaigns and, in this case, after the challenge that the storm Filomena and the increasingly frequent DANAs posed for everyone, such as the one two months ago, which “In addition to providing us with powerful lessons, they test the level of sacrifice and effectiveness of our services and public servants,” said the president from Rascafría, after checking the device, where once again “an enormous effort has been made in the provision of means and resources, both material and human.
It is a plan, Díaz Ayuso continued, “detailed and ambitious to guarantee the transportation and safety of all Madrid residents” based on anticipation. “It will not prevent the cold, snow or ice, but through hard work, professionalism and rigor we will know how to face the worst scenarios and mitigate their possible consequences,” added the president.
Specifically, for the correct development of this device, the regional Government has human and technical resources, both in the area of the General Directorate of Highways, dependent on the Ministry of Housing, Transport and Infrastructure, and in the area of Emergencies. , which belongs to the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Interior.
The objective of this strategy, which is governed by the principles of foresight and planning, is to guarantee safety on the 2,572 kilometers of autonomously owned roads, including the 370 located at altitudes above 1,000 meters in altitude, and communications between the 85 Madrid municipalities above 800 meters, incorporating, once again, coordination with the Puerto de Navafría Cross Country Ski Resort, having reopened its activity.
The purpose, in this sense, is to provide a quick and effective response to difficult situations for citizens and traffic problems that may occur as a result of snowfall and low temperatures in the region.
More surveillance cameras and weather stations
As new features, the device includes around thirty surveillance cameras, after having added three more, in the ports of La Hiruela, La Puebla and El Cardoso, for better management of winter roads in this northern area; and the number of meteorological stations is also increased by four, from 23 to 27, in Cruz Verde, La Hiruela, Navacerrada and El Cardoso, which will make it possible to collect more precise and detailed weather information in real time.
Regarding the road network, the region has 271 personnel, 59 snow plows, of which 57 are push and two are dynamic, 16 backhoes, 91 surveillance vehicles and 43 salt storage points with capacity for more than 5,000 tons, along with eight brine manufacturing plants.
Likewise, both the vehicles in charge of clearing the roads and the 13 Road Maintenance Centers and the Coordination and Information Center, in turn connected to 112, are equipped with digital radio devices to maintain a secure connection and facilitate coordination. in emergency situations. Along these lines, the Road Coordination and Information Center (CEOIN) is operational 24 hours a day throughout the campaign, to promptly inform citizens about any incident.
On the other hand, the regional government has a coordination protocol with the city councils that establishes the priorities that must be addressed in the event of possible eventualities, such as action on roads with high traffic density, access to hospitals, health centers or health centres. urban population, as well as strategic points or points of special importance.
Emergency Resources for the Winter Weather Plan
The Winter Inclement Plan also mobilizes human and technical resources from the Emergency area, with more than 5,700 people and a staff of 601 vehicles, coordinated by the Madrid 112 Security and Emergency Agency (ASEM112). This center collects all the information that both city councils and citizens may need and is responsible for disseminating, through social networks, notices of interest to the population.
Within the framework of this device, the General Directorate of Emergencies makes 1,580 professional firefighters and 451 support vehicles available to the Plan. Also two helicopters, one for coordination, based in Las Rozas de Madrid, and another for rescue, remain alert at all times, as well as the Drone Unit. As for the Corps of Forest Agents, 302 workers will be mobilized with 81 all-terrain vehicles, while Madrid 112 will respond to calls and dispatch the necessary resources.
Likewise, since last year the forestry brigade vehicles have had 50 snow clearing teams with front shovels and salt spreaders. Specifically, there are 25 heavy and 25 light forestry pumps, the latter equipped with a tank for a capacity of up to 300 kilos of salt.
For its part, the General Directorate of Security provides more than 300 professionals, including 182 from Madrid, 112 in the operations room, two snowplow vehicles, a basic life support unit and two logistics vehicles through the Security Team. Immediate logistical response of Civil Protection Volunteers in the face of emergencies (ERIVE). In addition, it coordinates the actions, through the Municipal Coordination Center (CECOM), of 113 groups that provide 2,930 volunteers.
If it were necessary to provide urgent and emergency health care, SUMMA 112 would activate and coordinate the corresponding basic or advanced life support care resources. Furthermore, thanks to the agreement signed between the Community of Madrid and the Red Cross, this entity provides 600 volunteers, as well as 12 vehicles, one of them equipped with snow plows, adding to the troops available for any need.
To this we must add the adhesion of Madrid companies, by virtue of the agreement with the Confederation of Businessmen of Madrid (CEIM), which contributes to disseminating alerts and incorporating the entire park of heavy machinery of the companies into the catalog of available means mentioned above. associated entities, such as backhoes, which can be activated if necessary to remove snow.
During the 2022/23 campaign, Madrid 112 activated the Winter Inclement Plan at level 0 on three occasions with a duration of 19 days, while days 1 and 2 remained undeclared. Based on the warnings from the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), 23 massive sendings of information were made, warning about adverse meteorological phenomena, all of them at the yellow level.
453 emergency situations through the My112 application
The My112 mobile application has the tracking service that, in the event of disappearance or loss, allows the user to recover the direction taken during the last hour of travel. This technology is very useful for locating missing people or on mountain and forest routes. Last year, a total of 453 emergency situations were attended to through this means, of which 431 were calls and 22 were alerts through tracking.
The post first appeared on www.comunidad.madrid