The ASIPAL and CCOOO unions have once again denounced the shortcomings in security matters suffered by the island after the latest event in which a 26-year-old Galician young man lost his life.
In a press release they relate that "on the morning of Thursday, September 6, a notice was sent to the Fire Department of the Security and Emergency Consortium alerting of the presence of a person in distress at sea, in the Los Charcones area in Playa Blanca. A team of four firefighters and a corporal leave from the Park, in this case a firefighter doing corporal work. Two of the firefighters leave in a fast vehicle and the rest in the first departure truck. The colleagues in the fast vehicle are the first to arrive at the service site before any other means. Upon arriving at the service site, the statement continues, the companions of the boy in distress tell the firefighters that they had only lost sight of the young man who was struggling to stay afloat five minutes ago."
The statement continues saying that "the only fire station in Lanzarote located in Arrecife is more than 25 minutes from the south area and yet they were the first to arrive. The Consortium's boat leaves the capital towards Playa Blanca with diving equipment carried by the Consortium's emergency agents"
According to the unions, "the two colleagues who arrive at first do not have the appropriate material to jump into the water, they do not have good communication with the Park, they do not have communication with the CECOES and they also do not have communication with the rescue helicopter that was trying to reach the area. One of the two firefighters had to use a personal mobile phone to indicate to the helicopter how to reach the correct area"
Therefore, they say that "the lack of a professional park in the north and south areas of the island, added to the unfeasible response time that firefighters have, lead to unfortunate misfortunes that sometimes, like this one, cost people's lives."
According to the note, "currently the fire department is still waiting for the diving van, the relevant and legal training and effective communication."
The fire department affirms that "we are about to burst from the impotence we suffer daily, knowing that we have had the opportunity to save a life and we wonder how many more misfortunes have to happen?"
Finally, they ask the President of the Cabildo and those responsible for the Consortium to "agree to meet with the fire department in order to solve this terrible situation"
