The Minister of Emergencies and Interior, Juan Carlos Valderrama, visited Pego, where he learned about the construction plan for the future Local Police station and visited the facilities of the Generalitat's forest firefighters. The objective was to understand the installations and the needs of the personnel.
At the Town Hall, the Councilor for Urban Planning, Laura Castellà, explained that a new station for the Local Police has been planned, relocating it to a municipal building to improve working conditions and emergency response. The project, with an initial cost of €1,300,000, will be financed by the Provincial Council of Alicante and the Pego City Council. Local Police officer Merxe Sastre highlighted that the new headquarters is "a dream," and reported that the force has 18 officers, 90% of whom are between 40 and 50 years old.
Minister Valderrama thanked Mayor Enrique Moll for his advocacy in security and emergencies and indicated that the Ministry is considering an age limit for joining the Local Police. The mayor cited the usefulness of the newly acquired drone for supporting forest brigades as an example. Valderrama announced that police software for municipalities with 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants will be put out to tender, which will connect the Local Police with the 1.1.2 emergency number.
The visit also included the forest rangers' base, where the head of operations, Alberto Herraiz, conveyed the need for an acceleration lane or traffic lights to improve vehicle entry onto the road from l'Atzúbia. The station, operational year-round with three shifts and 14 officers, has seen improvements in changing rooms, a kitchen-dining area, and the addition of a gym. Forest coordinator Rafa Perles requested a transit area between the mud room and the living quarters, and another shaded area to protect the building and private vehicles.
Valderrama emphasized the importance of inter-administrative collaboration, particularly in forest fire prevention, with agreements signed between provincial consortia. He announced aid for hiring Emergency Technicians for municipalities with 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants. Mayor Moll requested a stronger presence of the Regional Police in the Mancomunidad of Pego and Les Valls, and opened the door to expanding the Mancomunidad's responsibilities to include Emergencies.
