Council briefs residents and businesses in popular coves on protocols in case of fire

The Department of Beaches and the Local Police in Xàbia organised a meeting last Friday with residents and business people of both Granadella and Portitxol coves to outline the protection measures that were included in the Self-Protection Plan which was prepared by the town hall a few years ago.

In a year as dry as 2024 has been, the safety of the beaches and those who enjoy them has become a priority for the town hall so it has found it necessary to involve the sectors that work in both Cala de la Granadella and Cala de la Barraca-Portitxol as well as residents that live in the area.

The meeting was attended by mayor Rosa Cardona and the councillor responsible for Beaches and Public Safety, Juan Ortolá (CPJ), as well as residents, representatives of the hospitality sector, tourist services sector (sunbed and umbrella contracts and active tourism companies), the surveillance and lifeguard service provided by Cruz Roja Xàbia, the access and parking control service in addition to municipal staff from the local police force and technical teams from the Departments of Services, Beaches and the environment.

The meeting was hosted in collaboration with specialist company Medi XXI (which is in charge of developing self-protection plans) to provide practical information and direct instructions on how to act in the event of a fire breaking out in the surroundings zones of the two popular coves.

These actions included risk identification and fire prevention, evacuation protocols and safe meeting points, the use of available extinguishing equipment on the beaches, and the immediate action if a fire is detected and how to collaborate with the emergency services.

After the formal talk, councillor Ortolá thanked the business sector for their attendance, informing them that “we all have to work together to be prepared for an emergency situation in our coves”, adding that “the preparation and these talks are necessary so that everyone knows what to do in the case of an emergency”.

Mayor Rosa Cardona also highlighted the commitment of the businesses and services to the protection of both Granadella and Portitxol coves, making themselves available to the town hall to help in the event of an emergency situation.

She added that a provincial fire-fighting unit has been based in Xàbia for the last few weeks whilst the volunteers from the Protección Civil and Balcón al Mar have been assisting with the monitoring of the entire municipal area during the summer months and are also available for immediate mobilization in the event of an outbreak of fire.