El Plan Romero 2025 incorpora tecnología innovadora y plataforma web

The Minister of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification, Antonio Sanz, chaired, together with the Mayor of Almonte, Francisco Bella, and the President of the Provincial Council of Huelva, David Toscano, the Advisory Committee of the Territorial Plan for Civil Protection Emergencies in Andalusia (Pteand), which took place at the Huelva Business Federation headquarters in Huelva capital.

During the meeting, attended by representatives of the services and operational groups of all the administrations that make up the Romero 2025 Plan, it was pointed out that everything is ready for the activation of the 41st edition of the Romero Plan on June 2. The Plan will be active until June 12 to prevent risks and respond to any emergencies that may occur during the Pilgrimage of El Rocío and its central events.

Antonio Sanz emphasized that this year, the coordination is being led by the new Andalusian Emergency Agency (EMA), «the most important in Spain in terms of training, human resources, and material resources.» He also mentioned that «despite the difficulty of innovating and thinking of new capabilities in an operation with such an impressive track record as the Romero Plan, an international benchmark with 41 years of history, notable innovations have been incorporated such as drone nests thanks to a pilot project, new coordination cameras and satellite cameras, maps and pocket cartographic viewers for operatives, and the new Emergency Web Platform for Citizens.»

Among the new features unveiled are the ‘drone nests,’ a pilot project carried out in collaboration with Telefónica España for this year’s El Rocío. These are nests or boxes with state-of-the-art drone units that self-recharge and are programmed to periodically fly out and transmit images directly to the Advanced Command Post without the need for drone pilots. These are also units with great flight autonomy and, thanks to the implementation of 5G, transmit on a specific segment for emergencies.

The Romero Plan has been using drone technology for several years «as a security element that provides greater operational efficiency overall,» said Sanz, who also mentioned that there are up to seven units with thermal cameras, speakers, and lighting. He noted that «the incorporation of this new pilot project is another example of how new applications are being opened up for security and emergency coordination in large gatherings.»

Regarding their location, nests will be available both at the Advanced Command Post (PMA) in Villamanrique de la Condesa, in Seville, where the bulk of the brotherhoods pass through, as well as at the PMA of Bajo de Guía in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cadiz, and in the El Rocío village in Almonte, Huelva.

Likewise, the Emergency Agency will also deploy, for the first time this year, coordination cameras at the Coria ferry crossing in Seville, Las Marismillas, and Doñana to increase monitoring and security at these significant points. Within this technological chapter, the incorporation of satellite cameras also stands out.

The Minister of the Presidency emphasized the importance of quickly addressing all incidents that may arise and detailed the features of a new tool, the ‘pocket maps,’ digital and printed, «where the village’s cartography has been sectorized so that any urgent attention required can be addressed in the shortest time and with the greatest accuracy.» Sanz also stressed that this tool is made available to all operatives «as it facilitates locations.» By being used by all personnel, there is no room for doubt, as the incident is tagged in a specific grid. «This makes us more precise and saves time in the response.»

New Emergency Web Platform for Citizens

Another tool that will be launched coinciding with the activation of the Romero Plan is the Emergency Web Platform for Citizens, a project that is part of the Pigea implementation phase (Integral Emergency Management Platform of Andalusia) and that begins to see the light with the EMA 112 web platform, which will feature information on recommendations, tips, guides, latest news, specific sections for major emergencies, ‘Es-Alert,’ or emergency maps, among other resources.

«The Romero Plan comes with more technology and information to the population,» said Antonio Sanz, who explained that this tool is added to existing ones such as the Romero Plan app and its conversational assistant, which will continue to function.

There are also new units of the REJA (Digital Emergency Network of the Junta de Andalucía) dispatch in all the Advanced Command Posts and in the Integrated Operational Coordination Center (Cecopi) in the village: «On January 22 of this year, we activated this tool throughout the region, which is the most important in its category in Europe in terms of radio communications.»

Another novelty, in this case regarding operations and the course of the brotherhoods, concerns the roads in Seville, as a new one has been opened for mechanical traction from the Palacio del Rey to the Fresa road (starting about 200 meters after the Palace and going on the other side of the mesh that separates the Raya Real from the Noguera Estate).

These seven kilometers will allow for smoother traffic of mechanical traction heading directly to the Fresa road from the exit of the Palace, reducing the passage alongside the pilgrims and, therefore, increasing the safety and protection of the environment in the area.

In the same vein, the available surface area in the camping areas of Cruz del Ponce has been tripled.

As it is a jubilee year, the pontifical mass will have a very special and more massive character, so in the morning, a reduced Advanced Command Post will be set up to address possible emergencies. In the afternoon, the deployment of the Advanced Coordination Post and Sanitary Post within the Hermitage operation will take place, as usual.

«As you can see, there are almost a dozen innovations that aim to improve, if possible, an operation in which the greatest asset lies in the people, in the more than 7,000 personnel who dedicate their time each year to ensure that the celebration of Pentecost shines on its own around the world. I want to thank all the men and women who will work on the deployment and who are the best guarantee for the success of the Romero Plan,» said the Minister of the Presidency.

The Romero Plan also maintains everything that has worked and yielded good results in previous editions, such as the COA system (Aforo Control), which uses intelligent Wifi technology for crowd control and flow. Knowing the capacity at each point and moment allows for adjusting the response to emergencies in each specific situation, optimizing resources and response times.

The ‘Es-Alert’ for mass messaging to mobile phones and the advanced mobile phone location system (AML) are other tools that continue to be used this year, given their usefulness in responding to emergencies.

The pilgrimage will continue to be ‘cardioprotected’ thanks to the Automatic Defibrillators (DEA) provided by the Romero Plan to all the brotherhoods.

High risk of forest fires

In this edition, the Rocío takes place entirely in a high-risk period for forest fires, so the operation will pay special attention and will be reinforced each day with 195 EMA Infoca specialists.

In the area of influence of the Romero Plan, there will be three helicopters and three planes: a transport and extinction helicopter in Madroñalejos, another in Cabezudos, and another in Valverde del Camino in Huelva. Additionally, there will be two ground-loading planes at the Las Arenas base in Niebla (Huelva) and a coordination plane at the Seville Airport.

As for the land resources, there will be 17 surveillance posts, three support groups, eight fire engines, two BRICA units, 15 specialist groups, and five operations technicians.

The Romero Plan will also supply extinguishers to all the brotherhoods to immediately tackle any potential fires that may occur.

Antonio Sanz expressed his gratitude to the Motherhood and the filials for their cooperation in security matters and urged the pilgrims to once again avoid risks in order to unite celebration and safety.

Healthcare device

The health group of the Plan, formed by the Andalusian Health Service and the Emergency Health Center of 061, will deploy 13 care posts, eight mobile and five fixed, six of them in Seville, four in Huelva, and three in Cadiz.

In Huelva, they will be deployed on the Moguer Road, La Matilla-Tres Rayas, Los Llanos Road, Tarajales Road, and Hinojos Road, while in Seville, they will be in Bormujos, Aznalcázar, Marlo-El Quema, Villamanrique, both in the square and at the Command Post and at the Palacio del Rey. In Cadiz, they will be deployed in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Marismillas Palace, and Doñana Palace.

The healthcare operation will have access to the medicalized helicopter and 31 vehicles: six mobile ICUs, two basic life support ambulances, four transportation and evacuation units on all-terrain vehicles, two four-wheel-drive ambulances, four conventional ambulances, two logistical support vehicles with the capacity to attend up to 50 people each, a coordinating all-terrain vehicle, two support all-terrain vehicles, a health environmental support vehicle, two vans, an immediate intervention vehicle, and four quads.

Healthcare personnel will work 12-hour shifts, with 180 shifts of Emergency doctors, six pediatricians, 12 traumatologists, and another 12 of intensive care medicine, 15 shifts of X-ray technicians, 182 nurses, 120 Emergency Health Technicians (TES) from 061, and another 132 externally hired, in addition to 37 nursing assistants.

As in previous years, the Health Centers of Almonte and Matalascañas, in addition to the El Rocío Clinic, will be reinforced. In the village, the Main Care Center, known as the ‘Village Hospital,’ will be deployed from Wednesday, with general medicine and pediatric consultations, a radiology and ultrasound unit, a blood unit, and an observation unit.

The National Police Unit Attached to the autonomous community will provide 71 officers who will carry out actions related to environmental protection, consumer protection, assistance to individuals, care for minors, animal protection, and collaborations with the state security forces and bodies.

New Cecopi for 2026

The Minister also recalled that personnel from 112 and the EMA’s GREA will attend and coordinate actions at the Command Posts and at the Cecopi, «which will be the last year it will be in the Casa de la Cultura, as the works for the new Cecopi are progressing at an extraordinary pace and will be completed before the end of the year.» The new headquarters will be ready in 2026, a «special» year for the Rocío devotion, as, in addition to the Pilgrimage and the celebration of Pentecost, on August 19, the traditional transfer of the Virgin to Almonte will take place.

At the event, the Minister of the Presidency was accompanied by the Vice Minister of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue, and Administrative Simplification, Tomás Burgos, the Secretary General of Interior, David Gil, the Government Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Huelva, José Manuel Correa, the Government Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Cadiz, Mercedes Colombo, the Government Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Seville, Ricardo Sánchez, and the Director General of Emergencies and Civil Protection and Firefighting, Alejandro García.