The Community deploys more than 300 troops to guarantee safety on the beaches

A total of 310 people, including lifeguards, boat skippers, sanitary technicians, drivers and coordinators, will guarantee daily safety in the bathing areas of the Region during the high danger season of the Surveillance and Rescue Plan on Beaches and Rescue in la Mar (Copla Plan) that during July and August covers 81 beaches of the eight coastal municipalities and six river beaches of inland municipalities, according to what Minister Antonio Luengo reported this Friday.

The head of Emergencies stressed during the presentation of the Plan, which took place on the Pinata beach of Villananitos with the presence of the mayor, Visitación Martínez, that to the human deployment “we must add the material, since they have 13 boats for the performance of the service beach rescue vehicles, 13 water rescue motorcycles, 29 rescue canoes, 13 all-terrain vehicles, 6 support vehicles, 8 quads, as well as 5 rapid intervention vehicles and 5 ambulances.

The Copla Plan includes surveillance at six bathing points in inland waters in the municipalities of Abarán, Archena, Bullas, Calasparra, Mula and Lorca, and 125 surveillance posts at 81 beaches in the coastal municipalities of Águilas, Los Alcázares, Cartagena, Lorca, Mazarrón, San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar and La Unión.

The budget allocated for this purpose is 829,633 euros, of which 632,633 are subsidies to coastal municipalities for the beaches device; 25,000 euros to subsidize surveillance at inland water bathing points; 137,000 euros for the Red Cross for its boats and personnel dedicated to maritime rescue, and another 35,000 euros for Los Alcázares for its rescue boat.

More than 50,700 interventions in 2021

The personnel in charge of the Copla Plan carried out a total of 50,744 interventions last year, of which 34,162 were requests for information and social services, 15,643 cures and first aid and 939 rescues and rescues.

As in the previous year, the personnel of the municipal beach surveillance services will use a mobile app to report the color of the flag, the state of the sea, the capacity of the beach and the assistance provided as they occur, without need for intermediate steps.

To access this data, interested parties can use the 1-1-2 mobile application, through the internet by pressing the ‘Playas’ button on the 112 news website or the direct link. The app is available for Android or iPhone.

Antonio Luengo stressed that on many beaches, 43 in particular, “the surveillance service has already been operating during the month of June, at least on weekends, and on eleven even during Easter, in the same way that it will continue for good part of September to 38 beaches, because what prevails for the Copla Plan is the safety of bathers at any time and the safe enjoyment of our beaches».

Reinforcement of 061 assistance

For its part, 061 launched measures to improve health care in coastal areas. Thus, the Primary Care Emergency Services (SUAP) of San Pedro del Pinatar, Águilas and Mazarrón will have 24-hour staff, as will the Advanced Life Support with Nursing (SVAE) of La Manga north and the Port of Mazarrón. The reinforcement of 061 is made up of 33 assistance vehicles, including nine SUAPs, one more than last year.

Four yellow flags this Friday

The surveillance posts of the Copla Plan opened the day this Friday, July 1, with four yellow caution flags for bathing on the Banco de Tabal beach (north) in San Javier and on the beaches of Galúa, Sirenas and Entremares in Cartagena.