Almàssera launches meteorological and emergency service
The municipality will have its own data and alerts to improve safety against adverse phenomena and events.
By Pau Ferrer Castelló
••3 min read
AI
Generic image of a municipal building with a balcony and afternoon light.
The Almàssera City Council has implemented a new meteorological information and emergency response service, managed by Infooratge, which includes its own station to improve the management of adverse phenomena.
With the launch of this service, Almàssera will have local meteorological data, recorded daily and supervised by specialists. The objective is to facilitate rapid decision-making in the face of any risk situation or adverse weather phenomenon.
This initiative is part of the Plan against Catastrophes promoted by the mayor, Emilio José Belencoso. The plan also includes updating the municipal emergency plans, which had been expired for over 25 years, purchasing a 4x4 vehicle for the Local Police to access difficult areas, and acquiring independent energy equipment to ensure the operation of essential services in case of power failure.
The new service will allow continuous monitoring of risk situations. Municipal officials will receive immediate alerts on their mobile phones, via WhatsApp and SMS, with information from the station, enabling the timely activation of Local Police, Civil Protection, and municipal service units.
Furthermore, the service will offer technical advice for organizing outdoor events, such as concerts, firework displays (mascletàs), or children's activities. Information on safety protocols for inflatables, marquees, and fireworks will be provided, and a mobile application will be used to determine if an event can be held safely, needs adaptation, or should be postponed.
Almàssera will have its own meteorological website featuring forecasts for the coming days, live data from the station, reports, links to other meteorological pages, and a historical archive of data. Meteorological and environmental awareness articles will also be published.
The service also includes the preparation of official meteorological reports. These reports can be used by the City Council and residents to document registered phenomena when claiming damages from insurers or other administrations. The company Infooratge will be responsible for the periodic technical maintenance of the station and data calibration to ensure its reliability.
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"When we arrived, we found emergency plans that had been expired for over a quarter of a century. We updated them last year, and now we are continuing to take steps: our own meteorological service, a 4x4 for the Local Police, and energy equipment to avoid being left in the dark during an emergency. Almàssera must be prepared before something happens, not after."
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"After everything we have experienced in the region with torrential rains, we cannot rely solely on generic warnings. Now Almàssera will have its own real-time data, which will allow us to react sooner and better when needed."
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"The safety of our residents begins with prevention. With this service, the government team, the Local Police, and Civil Protection will receive alerts on their mobile phones instantly, and we will be able to make decisions with reliable information, not blindly."
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"When we organize a concert, a mascletà, or a children's activity with inflatables, we will know with technical criteria if it can be done safely. We prefer to anticipate having to cancel an event at the last moment."
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"The data will be public and will remain in a historical archive. Any resident will be able to check the weather in Almàssera and, if a storm causes damage, the City Council can support their claim with an official report."
