Andalucia will inaugurate a new comprehensive emergency management agency, Asema, at the beginning of January 2025. This agency aims to better coordinate and respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. The launch comes in the wake of two major DANA storms that recently caused widespread destruction across Spain. These resulted in 220 fatalities in Valencia and significant damages in Andalucia.
On Thursday the budget of the new emergency agency of Andalucia received the final nod from the Consultative Council. This approval paves the way for the Andalucian government to formally approve Asema’s statutes before the end of the year. Asema is expected to begin operations on January 1, 2025.
The emergency agency will be established with an impressive budget of €270 million. According to the Andalucian government, this is “the most substantial investment ever made in emergency services” in Spain. This funding will make Asema the largest and most comprehensive emergency service agency in the country, setting an example for other regions.
🚨#ASEMA será una realidad el 1 de enero de 2025. Con una inversión histórica de 270M€ y más de 5.000 efectivos, inicia una nueva etapa para reforzar la gestión de emergencias en #Andalucía.
Un proyecto histórico para garantizar la protección y el bienestar de todos. pic.twitter.com/NQZLy4jzdb
— Antonio Sanz Cabello (@antoniosanz) November 21, 2024
Integration for a swift response
Asema will consolidate more than 5,000 emergency service workers under a unified structure. Herein, the government combines the resources of multiple existing units such as Infoca, the region’s forest fire service; 112, the citizen emergency hotline; and the GREA technical support group. In addition, it will incorporate the Andalucian Institute of Emergency and Public Safety (Iespa), which trains emergency professionals.
The creation of Asema aims to fuse all emergency services into one coordinated entity. This will improve the efficiency of responses to emergencies throughout Andalucia. The government claims this move “will not cost Andalucian citizens a single euro” and promises a seamless, integrated response to all future crises.
Flood risk mapping to reduce vulnerability
As part of its strategy, Asema will also work on producing detailed flood risk maps, enhancing the region’s ability to act preemptively. During the last storm, Andalucian authorities were able to evacuate 4,500 people before an official red alert was issued by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet). The proactive approach will be supported by specialist analysts who monitor river flows and help authorities avoid potential threats.