Tenerife Approves €156k Icod Fire Station Modernisation

The Tenerife Island Council, working with the Tenerife Fire Consortium, has announced plans to upgrade and renovate the Icod de los Vinos Fire Station. This project, costing 156,113 euros, is expected to take five months. Its main goal is to modernize the station's facilities to improve fire and rescue services in the island's northwest.

The renovation work at Icod de los Vinos will cover both the inside and outside of the building. This includes improvements to metal and wooden parts, the roof, and the paving. These new works follow previous repairs made last year, which involved fixing the gym roof's waterproofing in February and the false ceiling in the ground-floor bathroom in June.

The Icod de los Vinos Fire Station operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a crew chief and three firefighters on duty. A total of 23 firefighters are assigned to the station, managing shifts and holidays.

Blanca Pérez, the Island Councillor for Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security, and Emergencies, emphasized that ensuring public safety is a top priority for the Island Council. She stated, "We are strengthening all aspects of the island corporation's emergency area, not only in terms of material resources and infrastructure, but also by reinforcing the staff of all services."

Pérez added that these smaller projects, like the one in Icod, are crucial for ensuring firefighters can work in the best possible conditions. This, she noted, "undoubtedly translates into increased efficiency and greater speed in responding to any emergency that requires firefighters."

Iván Martín, the Island Director of Security and Emergencies, praised the Tenerife Fire Consortium's efforts. He highlighted their work to improve fire station buildings and acquire new, essential equipment for firefighters, such as "new fire engines, drones, specific equipment, specialized clothing." He stressed that these investments are all part of "a commitment aimed at providing a better service to the public," adding, "What we aim for and what we are working on is for Tenerife to be a safer island."

The work at Icod de los Vinos is part of a larger, island-wide improvement plan for fire stations, led by the Island Council and the Tenerife Consortium. This plan involves minor renovation projects across various stations, with a total budget of 894,000 euros. The Council states that these improvements will benefit over 270 professionals, including firefighters, commanders, technical staff, administrative personnel, and logistics teams, by enhancing their working conditions.

Other stations benefiting from this plan include La Orotava, where the building's exterior will be improved for better insulation, soundproofing, and air conditioning. At San Miguel de Abona, roofs on various buildings will be repaired or upgraded, the outdoor area will be improved, and canopies for vehicle parking will be built. Additionally, the central building, training tower, and front courtyard paving at the La Laguna Fire Station have already been renovated.