The Valencian Firefighters Rally Against the Valencia Emergency Unit Proposal
In Valencia, firefighters from the Alicante Provincial Consortium and colleagues from the Valencian Community’s local and provincial fire services gathered in a morning demonstration at the Palace of the Generalitat Valenciana. Their aim was to publicly oppose the plan to establish the Valencia Emergency Unit (UEV), a project under consideration by the Justice Ministry for approval.
During the protest, around 500 personnel from three states participated, including many from Alicante. The event remained peaceful with no incidents recorded.
The gathering occurred amidst a broad union reaction: Six Fire Prevention, Extinguishing and Rescue Services (SPEIS) of the Valencian Community reported unanimous rejection of the proposal within the SPEIS Coordinating Commission, supported by most labor organizations except one. The unions argued that the Ministry of Justice, led by Gabriela Bravo, did not secure prior agreements with workers’ representatives as required by regulations before advancing the project. They also criticized the plan to create a new Emergency Service parallel to the six already operating local and provincial SPEIS units.
Firefighter representatives stressed that the proposed UE unit was not contemplated in Law 7/2011 governing SPEIS in the Valencian Community. They warned that political leaders were once again bypassing mandatory consultation processes with Civil Protection and the Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Services Coordination Commission. The concern was that unilateral actions could hinder rational administration, create duplication, and waste scarce resources. A photo caption noted Javier García Miñano, a delegate from the Alicante Provincial Fire Brigade Consortium and head of the primary unit division of CGT.
The article’s section header focuses on the protest as a challenge to the proposed UE plan.
challenge
The unions contest the draft Decree for creating the Valencia Emergency Unit, arguing its contents infringe on the legitimate interests of SPEIS in the Valencian Community. The platform behind the protest cites the occupation and usurpation of powers, as well as duplication of functions, especially between local and state authorities. Fire prevention, extinguishing, and rescue services worry about the financial burden of establishing an additional emergency service alongside the six existing SPEIS units. They also criticized a shift in management where public officials and authority representatives would not be part of frontline service delivery, raising questions about accountability and continuity of service.
In summary, the actions reflect concerns over governance, funding, and the potential fragmentation of emergency response responsibilities for the Valencian Community. The event underscores a broader debate about how best to balance local autonomy with centralized coordination in public safety services. [Attribution: Valencian Community Firefighters Coalition]