The president of the Ribera d'Ebre Regional Council and mayor of Flix, Francesc Barbero, has expressed dissatisfaction with a recent mobile phone alert test in the PENTA 1 area of Ascó, calling it an insufficient emergency drill.
Barbero stated that calling the simple mobile notification test a "drill" was "a bit excessive". He noted that municipalities in the nuclear zone have been requesting a proper emergency drill, involving both emergency responders and the civilian population, for many years.
"We hope that one day we can talk about a real drill," Barbero said. He also suggested that mobile phones should be incorporated into nuclear alert systems, as they are not currently included in emergency plans. Barbero believes these plans need updating to include such a widespread technology.
Updating Emergency Plans
Barbero hopes progress will be made in this area. He looks forward to a future where there is "operational normality and also coverage to use mobile phones in the event of a nuclear emergency". This would ensure that modern communication methods are fully integrated into regional emergency protocols.
The PENTA 1 area refers to the zone around the Ascó nuclear power plant, where emergency protocols are critical for public safety. Local officials have consistently pushed for more realistic and comprehensive emergency preparedness exercises.
