The Yaiza City Council, presided over by Óscar Noda, presented the Gold Medal to the Yaiza Civil Protection Group this Saturday for "their exceptional behavior and active and selfless participation in the months of the health emergency generated by the pandemic, carrying out social work and support to those most in need in coordination with the Social Services of the municipality." This recognition, the highest and most important of those included in the current Regulations of Honors, Distinctions and Ceremonial of Yaiza, was approved unanimously by all political groups represented in the Corporation, in the ordinary session of the Plenary held on December 17.
The solemn act of awarding the distinction took place in La Plaza de la Alameda in the town of Yaiza in the presence of councilors of the City Council, public representatives of different administrations, military authorities and members of security forces. However, the protagonists were the forty volunteers of Civil Protection, headed by the head of the Group, Ildefonso Noda, who together with the accidental deputy head, Juan Carlos Páez, received the Gold Medal and Parchment from the mayor, also signing the Book of Honors of the Municipality.
"We have plenty of reasons and lack recognition to express our immense gratitude to all the volunteers, those guardian angels dressed in blue and orange who watch over our neighbors in a totally altruistic way, making the municipality of Yaiza greater," says the mayor.
For his part, the Councilor for Citizen Security of Yaiza, Javier Camacho, highlighted "the actions of Civil Protection on several fronts of citizen attention, from emergencies such as traffic accidents, health transfers and fires, among others, such as the purely social attention they offered and continue to offer to the elderly and neighbors of all ages who demand help, always respecting the work of all the security forces because from Yaiza we are very clear that the sum of efforts and coordinated work translates into efficiency."
Twenty-seven years of service in the municipality
Ildefonso Noda, "visibly moved", spoke on behalf of the honored Group, highlighting, among other aspects, "the dedication, disposition and training of his work team". "We are people who help people, we invest our free time and knowledge in helping and protecting the residents of Yaiza, as well as, if the magnitude of a service demands it, other groups on the Island, as we are activated by 112 in the event of any incident and we work closely with the Local Police, Civil Guard, Firefighters and the Canary Emergency Service."
The head of Civil Protection also wanted to highlight "the support of the local Administration". "Our resources are 90 percent from the Yaiza City Council, which gives us training, uniforms and allows us, in our case, to have a warehouse in Playa Blanca, on a provisional basis, and a mobile park established in Yaiza, where we have the base. Thanks to that effort of the City Council we have a first intervention truck; a jet ski; sanitary vehicles; PMA vehicle, basic life support ambulance, three 4x4 all-terrain vehicles and a zodiac boat."
Ildefonso Noda concluded his speech by saying that "this distinction is for everyone, those who have been, those who are and those who will be, because the work that is carried out is always together and, as our name indicates, voluntarily. I thank on behalf of my colleagues the honor that is granted to us and to the residents of the municipality, the respect and affection that they offer us."
The mayor of Yaiza values the trajectory of the Group in the 27 years of service and leaves a chapter of special recognition "to the current organization headed by Ildefonso Noda". "We have 40 volunteers and there are 10 more people who want to join the Group, so our commitment is to continue supporting them with the heart and with the provision of material resources such as the new ambulance that we have just delivered. They are an exceptional group, women and men who are characterized by their generosity, for always being on the front line of work, and that is priceless," concluded the mayor.