In a remarkable coincidence, Orihuela City Council launched a programme of beach emergency drills on the same day that The Leader criticised the apparent absence of such exercises along Orihuela Costa.
The Coastal Department announced that safety, rescue and environmental simulations would take place on Tuesday, August 18, and Wednesday, August 19, at several beaches across the municipality.
The timing is particularly striking. The Leader had raised concerns that, despite Orihuela Costa’s enormous summer population and overcrowded beaches, there had been little visible evidence of emergency exercises designed to test the area’s response to a major incident.
Only hours later, the council revealed that drills were under way.
There is no suggestion that the exercises were organised in response to the newspaper’s criticism as operations involving several emergency services would ordinarily require advance planning. Nevertheless, the announcement provides a timely answer to questions about whether the coastal authorities are adequately testing their emergency procedures.
Eight Beaches Included in Safety Exercise
The first stage took place on Tuesday and focused on beach safety, lifesaving, rescue and first aid.
Exercises were conducted at Cala Capitán, La Glea, Cala Estaca, Punta Prima, Mil Palmeras, Barranco Rubio, Aguamarina and La Caleta.
The simulations recreated emergencies that could realistically occur during the normal operation of the municipality’s Beach Safety, Rescue and First Aid Plan.
Their purpose was to assess how quickly the different services could react, whether existing resources were sufficient and how effectively personnel could work together during a fast-moving emergency.
Participants included officers from the Orihuela Local Police Coastal Detachment, Civil Protection volunteers, lifeguards, rescue personnel and municipal technical staff.
Communication systems were also tested to establish whether information could be passed quickly and accurately between the agencies involved.
With thousands of residents and visitors using Orihuela Costa’s beaches every day during August, even a minor delay or breakdown in communication could have serious consequences.
Environmental Emergency Tests
The programme continues on Wednesday with environmental drills at Barranco Rubio, Aguamarina and La Caleta.
These exercises will simulate potential incidents affecting the coastline and its natural environment. They are intended to test the ability of municipal and emergency teams to detect a problem, raise the alarm, share information and coordinate an effective response.
Officials will assess whether existing environmental protocols work under practical conditions rather than simply on paper.
The drills should also identify weaknesses in staffing, equipment, communication or decision-making before those failures are exposed during a real emergency.
According to the Coastal Department, the initiative forms part of its continuing work to improve prevention, planning and operational preparedness. The council said the ultimate objective was to protect residents and visitors while safeguarding the municipality’s beaches and environmentally sensitive areas.
For Orihuela Costa, where the population increases dramatically during the summer, the exercises will be welcomed. The coastline faces a wide range of potential emergencies, from drownings and serious injuries to pollution incidents and extreme weather.
The council must now publish what the drills revealed, including any failures or shortcomings requiring urgent attention. Carrying out an exercise is only the first step; acting on its findings is what ultimately determines whether the coastline is genuinely prepared.
The coincidence of timing may raise eyebrows, but the drills themselves address precisely the concern highlighted by The Leader: emergency plans must be tested on the beaches they are intended to protect.
