A team of a dozen agents around the clock at the Alicante Civil Guard Command Complex Operations Center (COC) forms the nerve center handling more than 300 citizen calls daily about events in the province, and around 150 of the 112 and 062 services are processed each day.
The COC scene is no ordinary call hub. A small, busy operations room surrounds them with multiple screens, supporting a 24-hour team that answers every emergency call or inquiry made by residents to 062 or 112. They stay in near-constant contact with service patrols. It might sound like a call center chasing offers or like a scene from a surveillance heavy show, but the truth is far simpler: COC representatives exist to ensure safety and provide quick, effective help that can save lives when emergencies strike.
They are the daily ears and eyes for citizens, communicating with Civil Guard units and patrols deployed across the province, all coordinated from the COC to reach any required location within the region.
Under the leadership of Lieutenant Angel Brufal, the Alicante Command Complex Operations Center handled last year a total of 120,864 calls to 062 and an additional 54,872 emergencies reported through 112.
The data momentum is clearly high, and COC agents respond with professional precision. Integrated within the Service Operations Center, the Civil Guard attends to calls related to citizen safety issues. The Traffic Group Operations Center handles everything tied to accidents and road safety on provincial roads. The Integrated External Surveillance Service (SIVE) operates a radar and camera network along the Alicante coast to monitor the maritime border, combat drug trafficking, and assist vessels arriving on the Costa Blanca.
Inter-agency support
Each security unit has its own responsibilities, yet cooperation is a constant. If needed, teams support one another to manage emergencies. Lieutenant Brufal notes that afternoons see a surge in call volume, persisting into the evening. “We receive a wide range of requests for help, information inquiries, robberies, gender-based violence incidents, alarms, and health emergencies, among others,” explains a COC officer.
The command center coordinates patrols in real time. One large screen displays a province-wide map with on-duty indicators and exact locations, geolocated for rapid action. In emergencies, this information, processed by the COC, enables faster, coordinated responses. On a typical day, without special operations, roughly 60 Citizen Security patrols are shown on the COS screen and about twenty on the COTA screen for traffic operations.
As calls pour in and data about events flow in, the COC transmits all information to higher commands and servicing agencies. Patrols, described by Lieutenant Brufal, carry an emergency button; if activated, all other communications pause to address that specific emergency with focused attention. In addition to 062, another COC position handles mailed service letters for 112 of the Generalitat’s Emergencies.
There is also a channel for citizens to request help or file crime complaints via the AlertCops app, which enables direct communication with the State Security Forces and Corps from mobile devices.
Three large COC screens are dedicated to SIVE. Two show live camera feeds, while the third displays ongoing maritime activity: about 600 ships tracked, with more than a thousand permits sailing along Alicante’s coast during peak season. The program has the authority to flag suspicious vessels, and agencies mobilize sea and land resources if a potential incident, drug trafficking, or a vessel landing is detected. Support is ready for any needed intervention.
In addition, the COC encompasses a Traffic Operation Center that coordinates responses to road safety incidents and assists patrols while directing care and health services. “In an accident, the goal is to regulate traffic so the scene doesn’t worsen,” says a COTA sergeant.
Agents maintain composure amid tense situations across the province, including serious accidents, fires, floods, or anti-drug operations like the recent reconnaissance in Alicante’s El Moralet area. The team continues to adapt to evolving needs and strives to protect lives through well-coordinated, rapid responses.