The presentation took place during the ordinary meeting of the Municipal Operational Coordination Center (CECOPAL), a regular preventive gathering held especially due to the risk of adverse weather events and potential floods. The session was chaired by the mayor, Pepe Vegara, and the Councilor for Emergencies and Civil Protection, Víctor Valverde.
Councilor Víctor Valverde emphasized that this was a routine call, with no active emergencies, but essential for keeping the entire response mechanism operational in case of a real situation. He highlighted the importance of strengthening coordination among the various services, administrations, and companies involved, as well as ensuring that new commanders are familiar with the CECOPAL protocols.
To test the activation systems, the call was made via SMS, simulating a real emergency scenario. During the meeting, actions taken to reduce flood risk and improve the municipality's response capacity were analyzed, with participation from entities such as the Segura Hydrographic Confederation and the Privative Water Court.
GES Alert Orihuela, developed by the City Council's IT Department in collaboration with the Emergencies area, will centralize information and improve coordination. In its initial phase, it will be used for level 1 emergencies, managed at the municipal level. The tool can be made available to the regional administration if the situation escalates. Valverde thanked those involved for their efforts and noted that the goal is for users to test it and propose improvements before its launch.
The City Council plans to continue with system testing and improvements over the coming months, with another CECOPAL meeting scheduled before the end of the year, which will include a drill using GES Alert Orihuela.
Mayor Pepe Vegara stressed the importance of keeping resources prepared and coordinated, comparing the system to a 'life-saving machine.' He underscored that these CECOPAL drills are essential to ensure a coordinated and effective response when an emergency occurs.
