Academic Year Inaugurated Amid Recognition of Emergency Workers

Interior and Public Security Minister Núria Parlon presided today over the opening of the 2026-2027 academic year at the Institut de Seguretat Pública de Catalunya (ISPC), a key training body for Catalonia’s police, firefighters and emergency personnel. Parlon used the occasion to commend emergency and municipal workers who responded during recent torrential rains, stating: "They were at the forefront managing and, above all, protecting people." She emphasized the importance of continuous training, saying: "Learning from the past, reinforcing our strategy in the present, and providing the best possible response for the future is essential for Catalonia’s security and emergency system."

Record Number of Trainees and Expanded Courses

The ISPC is launching an academic year with a record number of trainees and expanded course offerings. According to the Generalitat, the institute will train 16,867 students this year, including 1,811 police candidates. This includes 1,058 aspiring Mossos d’Esquadra, the regional police force, and 753 candidates for local police forces from 153 municipalities. The training is part of a broader effort to reinforce police presence across Catalonia, with new officers expected to be deployed by June 2027. Enrolment in the Basic Police Training Course will grow significantly, rising from 66 to 84 sections, with 2,400 candidates beginning on 26 October. Other courses starting this autumn include:

  • The 300-hour Traffic Course for Local Police
  • The Municipal Civil Protection Competencies Course, aimed at elected officials in smaller towns
  • The 13th edition of the Basic Training Course for Rural Agents, already underway with 126 students
  • The University Degree in Security, with 280 enrolled students

Honours Awarded to Key Partners

The ceremony included the presentation of 16 honorary distinctions: 12 individual and 4 collective. Recipients of the collective awards included:

  • The Fire and Civil Protection School of Zaragoza City Council
  • The Catalan Energy Institute
  • Onbranding, a communications company
  • Terrassa Municipal Police

These honours recognise sustained collaboration in training, research, and security-related activities.

Forming, reinforcing knowledge, and adapting to increasingly complex realities is the guarantee of success for Catalonia’s security and emergency system.

Academic Growth and National Reach

Data from the Generalitat shows that 54,823 professionals were trained during the 2025-2026 academic year. This included 33,418 from police forces, 18,652 from fire and emergency services, and 1,126 in civil protection. The ISPC continues to expand its facilities and resources to meet growing demand, reinforcing its role as the leading academic institution for security and emergency services in Catalonia. Further details on current training programmes are available via the ISPC's open calls portal.

Primary sources: govern.cat, dsp.interior.gencat.cat, ispc.gencat.cat. Reported by catalan.news.