The Government delegate of the Junta de Andalucía, Aránzazu Martín, has announced the “Zero Drowned” campaign carried out for the second consecutive year by the Emergency Coordination Centre (Cecem) 112. “The population must be made aware of the importance of prevention to avoid accidents and deaths in the aquatic environment this summer”, the Government delegate, who has highlighted that the campaign “once again opts for a shocking but very necessary spot because the objective is to reduce the number of deaths in aquatic environments through surveillance, caution and respect, especially with children and during hours when there is no surveillance”.
“Planning is always the best tool to save lives and minimize damage on a coastline with 13 coastal municipalities,” said the Government delegate. Martín acknowledged that so far in 2024, three people have already died from drowning in the province, “figures that we hope will not increase further.”
Last year, 12 people died by drowning in the province of Almería, according to sources from the Institute of Statistics and Cartography of Andalusia. The beach was the place where the highest number of deaths were recorded, followed by swimming pools.
The ‘Zero Drowned’ campaign will be carried out through the press, radio and television, as well as on social media. This awareness campaign focuses on vigilance (most drownings occur in places without a lifeguard), caution and the respect that must always be shown to water, since conditions on beaches, swimming pools or rivers can change and lead to danger.
Martín explained that “Emergencies 112 Andalusia has managed a total of 49 rescues on beaches, in the sea and in swimming pools in 2023, 10.9% less than in 2022, when there were 55 rescues, while from January 1 to May 31 there have been 8.”
For her part, the Councillor for Public Works, Maintenance, Accessibility and the Blue Economy of the Almería City Council, Sacra Sánchez, has assured that “the objective that the local and regional administration share is that going to the beach only leaves good memories and that our coastline does not become the scene of irreparable tragedies again”. “Beaches are always a priority and that is why our special Beach Plan, together with such valuable initiatives as this Zero Drowned Plan of the Junta, will allow us to provide them with the best services, thus putting them in value, reinforcing their indisputable attractiveness and enabling them as safe spaces for leisure, meeting, sport and culture”, she stressed.
Thus, she recalled that during the summer season, from July 1 to August 31, for 8 hours, the beaches of Almería will have lifeguard and rescue services and the presence of Local Police and Civil Protection units.
“On behalf of the City Council of Almería, I would like to congratulate the Regional Government of Andalusia for putting new technologies at the service of citizens to offer effective information that serves not only to improve the quality of the use of beaches, swimming pools or rivers, but above all for something as important as avoiding deaths,” concluded Sánchez.
Educational guide to prevent drowning
In addition, 112 is distributing an educational guide to prevent drownings and accidents in all bathing areas, a document that is available for download on the website of the Ministry of the Presidency, as well as through the QR codes of the promotional material of the ‘Zero Drowned’ campaign that will be distributed in coastal municipalities.
The delegate recalled that 112 has the Advanced Mobile Phone Location (AML) system to provide the exact coordinates of the person calling for help, and the reverse 112 to offer mass security warnings in the event of major emergencies. She hoped that “the Andalusians and tourists who choose our land every year enjoy the privileged natural environment of the beaches of Andalusia and our interior with safety and full protection.”
General Beach Catalogue
The presentation also included the unveiling of the General Beach Catalogue, which this summer features a conversational assistant with voice. “The Andalusian Government is firmly committed to new technologies as a tool always at the service of citizens to encourage citizen participation in matters of security and emergencies, while offering them the best and most effective information,” explained the Government delegate.
This update can be consulted free of charge via the web and on mobile phones through the General Beach Catalogue mobile application. The novelty of the launch of a virtual voice assistant allows the user to consult in real time the status of the beaches and their characteristics, flags and data relating to safety for effective intervention and coordination in ordinary emergencies and civil protection.
The virtual assistant, created by the Digital Agency of Andalusia, offers this summer voice responses on the location of first aid stations, watchtowers or nautical channels. The assistant also takes the user to the beach or reference point they wish to consult with a single click. With this conversational virtual assistant, a further step is taken and it now facilitates access to all information about beaches by voice.