Thousands of volunteers are traveling from Valencia and other municipalities to the areas of Horta Sud affected by DANA to offer their help. With roads still affected, travel causes delays which make evacuation difficult for emergency services. “Remember: emergency services continue to help and rescue people. They need communication channels to be free. Avoid taking the car to travel by road,” warns 112 this Friday morning.
The troops consulted on Thursday by elDiario.es recommended not participating without specialization or organization. “The ambulances can’t get through,” comments a 112 employee, while a soldier emphasizes: “A lot of people come to offer themselves, but without experience, it’s more dangerous.” The Local Police add that it is better not to come if a specific request for help has not been made by the authorities or municipalities.
The regional emergency secretariat indicates that it is important that volunteers contact the forward command post, located in Paiporta, to coordinate relief efforts. “Let them come but contact them to organize them,” he says. They can also do it through the telephone numbers activated by the Generalitat Valenciana.
112 assured that traffic jams were occurring, access roads were collapsing and emergency services were having difficulty doing their jobs. “We must leave the roads free so that emergency services can intervene,” they insist. The Civil Guard recalls the importance of avoiding travel when it is not essential and the need to follow the instructions of the authorities.
In the La Torre neighborhood, local police cut off access because there were too many volunteers. Many people come to take photos and obstruct the removal of mud and the passage of trucks, say some people who have heard complaints from the neighborhood. Some displaced to the communes, organized in groups, emphasize that there are no reference authorities in the area. “Lack of staff and information,” they say. “There are a lot of people but they leave without rhyme or reason, there is no one to coordinate them. It would be good if there was a minimum of organization,” explains a person on site. People are equipped with shovels, buckets and brooms but they don’t know where to go. Town halls themselves organize searches to meet specific needs.
