Then-Councilwoman Salome Pradas learned on the morning of Oct. 29, 2024, Dana Day, that the high volume of calls to the state’s public emergency phone number from areas where it had not rained was “abnormal.” This is what the on-duty 112 supervisor told Pradas while the Counselor and Regional Secretary for Emergency Situations, Emilio Argüeso, visited the Ileana Emergency Center that morning. Nestor Garcia, who appeared as a witness on Monday, confirmed: “We were surprised that there were rescue operations in areas where it does not rain and that is why we told you about that.” The witness informed counsel that this must have been “because it was raining in Bunyol or Chiva”.
The supervisor explained, according to the sources in his statement seen by elDiario.es, that in emergency situations they have the means to know the source of emergency phone calls.
During the institutional visit of Pradas and Argüeso, Néstor García and Manuel Villalba, Chief Operating Officer of 112, followed up on the matter. At that precise moment, “rescue forces were entering areas where no rain had fallen.” “This surprised us,” he stressed. The witness alluded to towns such as Quart de Poblet and the area adjacent to the A3 motorway, where “it was not raining”. “They come and ask, and we tell them,” said Supervisor 112.
This is one of the two technicians featured in a reference video recorded during the visit of Salome Pradas and Emilio Argüeso to the Generalitat complex in Iliana. During that visit, Villalba Pradas warned that concern was focused on the Puyo Valley region. He repeated: “We told him that it is not normal for there to be rescue operations in areas where it does not rain.”
Garcia also stated that, as a supervisor, he “likes” in an episode of this type to “monitor”, either “by map” or “by rain program”.
In response to questions from Pradas’ defence, the witness indicated that during that visit by the consultant, it was possible to comment on the situation in the Puyo Valley as a result of the activation of the hydrological alarm in that street a short time ago.
Exceptional operation at 112
The damage, as described by the 112th supervisor, began in the Ribeira area and continued toward Autel and Requena, the two areas “that saw the most problems,” during his morning shift.
Nestor Garcia also confirmed that 112 people faced technical problems since the early morning, although he stressed that “the main reason” for the difficulties in serving citizens is “the volume of calls in the afternoon.” At 7:30, 112 activated an exceptional operation, within which “protocols became more flexible.”