The Lanzarote Security and Emergency Consortium, through the fire department, carried out a total of 1,033 services throughout 2021.
The most repeated type of incident was fire extinguishing, with a total of 259, followed by 81 traffic accidents, and 190 rescues, which includes humanitarian assistance to people arriving on the coasts of Lanzarote in boats from the African continent.
They detail from the Cabildo that more than 150 Covid-19 disinfectations were also carried out in public spaces such as outpatient clinics, bus stations or police units, and 151 technical assistance. According to data from previous years, the activity of the fire department "has decreased by 32% compared to 2020", when the pandemic broke out and "an extra effort" was needed from the essential personnel of the Consortium.
“Behind these figures is a great human team at the service of the people of Lanzarote 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The professionals of the Lanzarote Security and Emergency Consortium perform a valuable job that consists of ensuring the safety of property and people on our island,” said the Security and Emergency Councilor, Marcos Bergaz.
Regarding the number of interventions by municipalities, Arrecife is in the lead with 490 services, followed by Yaiza, which has needed the attention of firefighters on 114 occasions. Followed by Teguise with 111 and, finally, San Bartolomé with 89 interventions. The Consortium's 2021 report dedicates a section to container fires, quantifying a total of 62 in 2021, which represents an increase of 2% compared to 2020.
“The vast majority of these incidents are caused, which expresses the existence of uncivil attitudes on the part of citizens who are dedicated to causing these fires. It is worth remembering that the cost of these containers ranges between 1,500 and 2,000 euros, depending on the type, a price that in the end the whole of society is forced to pay,” recalls Bergaz.
From the Cabildo they also point out that another of the tasks carried out by the Lanzarote Emergency and Security Consortium is training through awareness campaigns for citizens. In 2021, 9 campaigns were carried out with a total of 5,731 participants, and the campaign “With your hands you can save a life” was the most massive with 1,600 participants, followed by the drowning prevention campaign with 1,270 participants.
Finally, another of the activities carried out by the Consortium throughout 2021 was the delivery of more than 60,000 units of sanitary material to prevent Covid-19 infections among the population. In addition, Councilor Marcos Bergaz took advantage of the press conference to show the new image of the Consortium's facilities.
