The 'València + Segura' plan, promoted by the València City Council for citizen training in emergencies, extends from this Tuesday to the municipality of Xirivella. The agreement was formalized by the mayors of València, María José Catalá, and Xirivella, Paqui Bartual, through the signing of a collaboration agreement.
This institutional pact marks the first time the València City Council has signed an agreement with a metropolitan area municipality for this type of training. The objective is to strengthen the urban resilience of the entire region, and it is expected that more towns will join soon.
Through the agreement, València will provide Xirivella with its 'know-how', methodology, pedagogical materials, didactic guides, audiovisual and graphic support, and advisory services. The plan, considered a pioneering initiative, stems from València's alliance with the University of València (through the MESVAL Chair) and aims to prepare citizens to respond effectively to emergency situations.
María José Catalá highlighted that the expansion to other municipalities is the first step towards building a metropolitan culture of prevention. She recalled that in València, over 41,000 people have already been trained, including trainers, teachers, senior centers, and vulnerable groups, in addition to information activities in neighborhoods via tents.
The mayor of Xirivella, Paqui Bartual, emphasized the importance of citizen training for emergencies, stating that 'when citizens are trained, lives are saved.' She announced that in Xirivella, all neighborhoods, seniors, and children will be trained to be prepared for future floods or other events.
Catalá emphasized the interconnection between València and its metropolitan area, noting that emergencies do not recognize administrative borders. The agreement with Xirivella extends the resilience network and good practices to other municipalities.
The agreement includes the transfer of educational materials, didactic guides, presentations, brochures, audiovisual material, the program's visual identity, and pedagogical methodology. València will also offer technical advice and initial training for trainers. Xirivella commits to using the materials for institutional purposes and adapting them, incorporating the logos of València and the University of València.
The agreement will be valid for four years and includes a monitoring commission. The plan was officially implemented on September 1, 2025, as a direct consequence of the dana in October 2024, and is structured around four training axes: practical training in neighborhoods, school activities, family emergency kits, and understanding official alerts.
