Gran Canaria recognises the work of its firefighters after the team was replaced in Valencia

 

The Gran Canaria Emergency Consortium is replacing the personnel sent to Valencia, where the vehicles and their drivers will remain.

 

The new team, a corporal, four firefighters from the Consortium and two from San Bartolome de Tirajana, which will be added to those of other islands, always under the organization of the Canary Islands Government.

 

The initial projection of Gran Canaria firefighters will go to Murcia Airport to return on the same plane, while those arriving will take these vehicles to travel to Valencia.

 

The official arrival of three corporals, 9 firefighters from the Consortium and three from San Bartolomé de Tirajana on the evening of November 8, while the four drivers are expected to remain until Monday.

 

The initial work in any major emergency is essential and, apart from searching for survivors as quickly as possible, it involves starting more technical work such as restoring basic infrastructure and establishing coordination with other bodies, which has also been made easier thanks to previous contacts, such as with the firefighters of Valencia and Alicante.

 

After that, the work entrusted to us during these days began, focusing on pumping out basements and garages, where water continued to enter, the removal of vehicles, for which a crane was moved to give them autonomy, as well as generator sets so that the fire engines did not depend on the electricity supply from Valencia.

 

“Day by day, the improvement of the streets and basements was clearly visible, and the population was also becoming more organised. We have already withdrawn and there is still work to be done to clean the streets. The pumping has already been carried out, and now there is sludge left to be removed by cleaning equipment,” says Corporal Ismael Pitti, who will return with Officer Mario Beltrán and the rest of the team from Gran Canaria.