The head of the Consell has explained that this plan will provide “stability, security and investments, which is what our firefighters need” and has highlighted the “urgency to solve a situation that has been entrenched for many years and with obsolete means.”
This plan, which will improve the security and operation of the service 24 hours a day, will introduce a third shift with an investment of more than 3.5 million euros to multiply the operation of the units, facilitate the mobilization and coordination of means and improve firefighting effectiveness in the field. Thus, he pointed out that starting tomorrow the budget procedure will begin so that the third shift comes into operation this year.
The agreement contemplates extending the hiring of the reinforcement until the end of the year while the third shift process is implemented. Likewise, the forest firefighters who currently make up the reinforcement will be able to stabilize their situation in the company by joining the third shift.
In the same way, he has indicated that in parallel a negotiation schedule will begin with the forest firefighters to address the collective agreement and the employment situation of the workers.
For her part, the Minister of Justice and the Interior, Elisa Núñez, has indicated that “since we assumed management of the Department of the Interior, one of our priorities has been the forest firefighters and their families. From the first moment we started to work on a strategic plan that is allowing us to now define a future for the company and the stability of the workers.”
Thus, he has shown his satisfaction with the agreements reached "because they confirm the support of the Consell and the forest firefighters to guarantee the best service of this company, putting an end to the excesses and previous mismanagement."
Incorporation of new equipment
On the other hand, Carlos Mazón has also announced that a SGISE master plan will be launched to begin the reinforcement and renewal of the material with which forest firefighters work.
In this sense, he has denounced the poor state of the material and equipment of forest firefighters in recent years and has pointed out the incorporation of fire engines "as a priority of this Consell."
Finally, he described this agreement as “a before and after” in the implementation of the stabilization and improvement of the safety of forest firefighters, to whom he thanked for the coordination to carry it out, as well as the “service essential” that they provide from professionalism.