This newsroom has had access to the «Statement of Grounds for improving living conditions and safety», drawn up by the CCOO Union Branch at the Provincial Fire Service Consortium, dated December 2024, a technical document that has served as the basis for justifying the immediate closure of the Manilva fire station.
On Saturday 11 January, when Jose Manuel Fernandez was still mayor, the first rumours about the closure of the station reached this newsroom, and we promptly contacted Fernandez to ask about this move and find out more details.
We now know the 14-page document, which includes photographs and details a series of structural, comfort and safety deficiencies that affected the operational capacity of the service and the wellbeing of staff, as well as several references to related news items and documents from the BOE (Official State Gazette) on planning and risk prevention. However, the report itself does not call for closure, but for the necessary corrective measures to be adopted immediately to ensure compliance with the regulations.
📌 MAIN DEFICIENCIES IDENTIFIED
Among the shortcomings pointed out in the document are:
🚪 Obstruction of emergency exits by badly parked vehicles and a lack of control over the immediate surroundings.
😤 Psychosocial stress caused by noise, festive events and the lack of adequate rest areas.
🛏 Shared dormitory and lack of privacy, with noise from the adjoining lounge preventing rest.
💪 Gym unusable because of the low ceiling, and changing rooms visible from the street.
☣️ Risk of contamination due to a lack of space and proper procedures for cleaning PPE.
🔥 No smoke detectors in the garage and an ineffective ventilation system.
⚡ No electric generator, making it impossible to open the doors in the event of a power failure.
📱 Poor mobile coverage, forcing staff to go out into the street to stay in contact with the emergency services.
🚒 Complete lack of a practical training area for the brigade’s essential drills.
🚦 Dangers from vehicle movements, with pedestrians, schoolchildren and public transport frequently passing near the exits.
🛠 CONCLUSION OF THE REPORT
The technical document concludes that:
«It is essential to relocate the current fire station to a more suitable site that avoids interference during public events and ensures compliance with health and safety and occupational risk prevention regulations».
At no point does the document demand immediate closure, which is what the Málaga Provincial Consortium carried out yesterday.
🛑 DOES THIS JUSTIFY IMMEDIATE CLOSURE?
Despite the seriousness of some of the points, the report does not conclude that the station must be closed immediately, but urges improvements in line with current legislation (Law 31/1995, Royal Decree 486/1997, etc.). In fact, the same deficiencies had been known about for years, and had not led to closure until yesterday.
