The president of the Consell de Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, has announced that it will be a multi-purpose aircraft designed for mountain rescues, forest fires and traffic accidents.
The Consell de Mallorca has begun the procedures to incorporate a helicopter, which will be destined for the Fire Service of Mallorca. This is a long-standing demand of the island’s emergency service, which is very necessary for the development of its work. The announcement was made by the President of the Consell de Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, accompanied by the Minister of Finance and Public Function, Rafel Bosch. The incorporation of the future emergency helicopter will require an investment of one million euros.
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The Mallorca Fire Service will incorporate an emergency helicopter 365 days a year
President Galmés said that ‘today we are making a long-standing demand of the Consell de Mallorca’s emergency services a reality, which will mark a turning point in the development of their work’. Galmés stated that ‘in this legislature, we are allocating more resources than ever to provide the firefighters with the best tools. Because, as we always say, we are very clear that we have to take care of those who risk their lives to protect us. In this sense, the president of the insular institution has highlighted that ‘since 2023 we have increased its budget allocation by 30% to renew and improve the vehicle fleet, emergency service equipment and infrastructures with the construction of the future parks of Manacor and Es Migjorn de Santanyí’.
The new helicopter will serve the Mallorca Fire Brigade, especially the Mountain Rescue Group, which has tripled the number of rescues in the last 10 years (from 100 to 300 sorties a year on average). The helicopter will be involved, above all, in mountain rescues, forest fires and traffic accidents. President Galmés also thanked the Guardia Civil and Salvamento Marítimo for ‘all their collaboration over the years, making their helicopters available to us on numerous occasions for our emergency service, which has enabled us to save many lives’.
The aircraft will be capable of carrying equipment and personnel. For rescue response, it will be equipped with a high-capacity winch, a rescue basket for injured persons, a bunk bed adapted for evacuating immobilised victims, and oxygen and defibrillator equipment. To extinguish fires, it will have a water bucket with adjustable capacity and a thermal chamber. To provide support in traffic accidents, it will have a medical team, a complete team for extrication in traffic accidents, cameras that can transmit in real-time and the capacity to transport the injured. It will also reduce the response time to 5 minutes and will make it possible to reach any point on the island in just 15 minutes. Even to points of difficult access such as Formentor and Sa Calobra.
Investment in Mallorca’s firefighters
During this legislature the Consell de Mallorca has reaffirmed its commitment to the Mallorca Fire Department, with the renovation and improvement of the infrastructure, the vehicle fleet and the equipment of the emergency service.
The insular institution is already working on a general fire brigade infrastructure plan to modernise the facilities of the existing fire stations and to provide them with the necessary resources, both in terms of vehicles and equipment. The complete refurbishment of the Manacor fire station is in its final phase, the construction of the new Santanyí fire station has already begun and the service will be regrouped in the future prefecture of Marratxí.
On the one hand, the Mallorca Fire Department has modernised its fleet with two new vehicles, two light urban pumps (highly versatile units designed to intervene in urban fires and traffic accident rescues) that are more efficient and technologically advanced, complementing the firefighters’ current fleet and providing them with better tools to deal with any emergency.
On the other hand, the island’s Emergency Department has completely renewed the protective uniforms used by Mallorca’s firefighters during firefighting operations in confined spaces. The equipment is designed with multiple layers, providing the full protection required for firefighters in structural fire situations.
25 years of the Mountain Rescue group
The presentation was attended by some of the founders of the Mountain Rescue group, which will be 25 years old next year. Three of them are still active. According to president Galmés, this group was a milestone for Mallorca due to its specialised service.
Llorenç Galmés thanked them for their work and highlighted the growing evolution and importance of this team, given that in recent years the number of rescues in the mountains has not stopped growing.