22 Professionals Bolster Civil Protection on the Islands

The measure is part of the transition of the Canary emergency system toward a new model, highlighted by the creation of the future Canary Agency of Emergencies.

The Government of the Canary Islands, through the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water, is reinforcing the archipelago’s Civil Protection System by adding 22 specialised professionals who will support the Directorate General of Emergencies and the entire Canary operational system.

The new staff will join a specialised support and planning unit that will improve coordination, risk monitoring and response capacity in emergencies throughout all the islands.

The professionals were presented today at a ceremony in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, attended by Territorial Policy Minister Manuel Miranda, Vice‑Minister of Emergencies and Water Marcos Lorenzo, Director General of Emergencies Fernando Figuereo, and Head of Civil Protection and Emergencies Montserrat Román.

This incorporation occurs amid a broader transformation and modernisation of the Canary emergency system, as the regional government works on reorganising and strengthening operational and planning structures to achieve a more coordinated, efficient and specialised public management.

“The incorporation of these 22 professionals represents an important step in consolidating a more robust, better‑coordinated Canary emergency system, ready to respond more effectively to any situation,” said Minister Manuel Miranda.

Miranda added that this reinforcement comes “at a crucial moment, in the midst of a transition toward a newer, more integrated and professional emergency management model, for which the future Canary Agency of Emergencies will be a key instrument.”

He also reminded that the Government is already drafting the future Law on the Civil Protection and Emergencies System of the Canary Islands, a regulation that will modernise and organise the entire regional system, adapting it to the archipelago’s specificities.

The minister announced that the creation of the Canary Agency of Emergencies is being finalised and that the legal text will be opened to public consultation in the coming weeks. “This will allow us to move toward a more coordinated model, with greater capacity for prevention, planning and response to increasingly complex risks,” he noted.

Miranda also extended a welcome message to the new professionals, emphasizing that “they will join a sphere of great responsibility and public service, essential for the safety of Canary citizens.” He thanked the Directorate General of Emergencies and the whole Canary Civil Protection system, stressing that “this progress is the result of coordinated, constant and often silent work that keeps the system functioning every day.”

How the New Staff Is Structured

• 14 support managers (seven per province) will work in the two operational rooms of the Emergency and Security Coordination Center (CECOES 112) of the Government of the Canary Islands, operating in shifts that guarantee 24‑hour coverage throughout the year. Their duties include:

  • Technical support to the Directorate General of Emergencies.
  • Management and monitoring of databases.
  • Civil‑Protection risk monitoring.
  • Implementation of procedures linked to the archipelago’s various emergency plans.
  • Integration into the Operational Coordination Center (CECOP) when territorial or special plans are activated, such as PLATECA, INFOCA, PEVOLCA, or PEFMA.

• Six technicians distributed across both provinces will:

  • Assist in updating and reviewing existing emergency plans.
  • Draft new instruments to address emerging risks.
  • Monitor municipal and island plans.
  • Participate in the validation of self‑protection plans.
  • Collaborate with the various operational coordination centres (CECOPAL, CECOPIN, CECOPI) according to the nature of each emergency.

The addition of this new personnel forms part of the ongoing effort to strengthen the Canary Civil Protection and Emergencies System, aiming for a more effective, modern and better‑prepared model to protect citizens across all the islands.