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A 112 worker: The President of the Generalitat should have given the evacuation order at least two hours before
- November 5, 2024
The employees of 112, the number that responds to emergencies in the Valencian Community, find themselves in a precarious situation that seriously affects their ability to respond to critical situations. Despite working alternating shifts to cover 24 hours a day, the operational staff varies between 5 and 15, and up to 20% of employees are absent for various reasons. This service, privatized and under a telemarketing agreement, is responsible for managing all emergencies from the Autonomous Community.
On October 29, during the first hours of the Dana, the 112 workers were faced with a real overflow . While attending to the victims from the center of l'Eliana, they realized that everything was overwhelmed: in the morning they received dozens of calls from areas affected by the heavy rains, especially in towns such as Utiel and Chiva. As the hours went by, the number of calls increased, crowding the emergency lines and further complicating the responses.
The situation became critical as the call map filled with “natural phenomenon” and “incident” tags. A person who worked that night guarantees that “most of the calls were to rescue people trapped on roofs, fences, and flooded vehicles.” Many of these calls came from elderly people living in single-story houses with no escape options. Among the emergency situations, incidents of gas explosions and fires were also reported, which further worsened the crisis.
The sources consulted indicate that the service was significantly reinforced on Tuesday morning and afternoon. On a typical night shift, the assigned staff can range from 7 to 8, but on this occasion, the number exceeded 20. However, despite the reinforcement, the number of calls exceeded any previous forecasts. Waiting times soared, and thousands of people were unable to contact 112 during the most critical hours of the disaster.
They echoed that even those who managed to make contact had to endure long waiting periods. One emergency worker said: “We gave absolutely everything we could” as they grappled with the distressing reality that they could not handle all the calls that were swamped by the clamour for help.
Many of the calls that could not be answered by 112 were redirected to other institutions, such as the Civil Guard, which also received a flood of requests for help. A record of calls up to Thursday indicates that more than 75,000 calls were made in total, of which nearly 20,000 correspond to Tuesday 29th .
Coverage issues and a poor IT system further complicated operations. At its most critical point, the service faced serious difficulties in returning calls, leading to a chaotic situation where communication was ineffective. 112 employees noted that “communications failed to make external calls ,” a serious inconvenience that further hampered emergency response.
Workers who remain anonymous emphasize that an early warning could have saved many lives. Although emergency technicians are competent professionals, the lack of efficient decisions by politicians further complicated the situation. Employees living in affected areas had to continue responding to emergencies, knowing that their own relatives were at risk due to the floods.
One worker stresses: “The President of the Generalitat should have given the order to evacuate at least two hours earlier .” The forecasts of the Agency for Security and Emergencies indicated critical risks that could have been activated before the disaster, highlighting the urgency of preventive evacuations and the need for effective communication with the population.
Beyond the lack of alerts, employee testimonies also highlight the lack of humanity on the part of Ilunión Emergencias managers, who seem to treat their workers more like resources than human beings. The psychological conditions in which they work are extremely difficult, and they often face constant pressure to maintain specific response times rather than focusing on the quality of care they provide.
Workers express frustration with working conditions, warning that performance evaluations are more focused on seeing how many calls they can handle in a limited time, which creates an unsustainable work environment. Although they are accustomed to difficult situations, the emotional weight of calls for help is a constant challenge that must be taken into account.
This brings the fifth day in which workers continue to receive notifications related to the storm.
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