The security operation for the Gràcia Festival is already underway. In the morning, Sergi Bové, head of the Barcelona Fire Department, and Josep Maria Contel, member of the management committee of the Fundació Festa Major de Grácia, toured the streets of the neighborhood to check the assembly of the electrical installations , the state of the hydrants and the provision of lanes for crews to access in case of emergencies, not only during celebrations, but also in neighborhoods surrounding Gràcia that may be compromised by traffic cuts.
It is necessary to highlight that the decorations that cover 23 streets of the Gràcia neighborhood are created with highly flammable materials such as plastic, paper and cardboard. However, the planning of the operation does not contemplate permanent surveillance within the festivities. From the fire department they consider that those responsible for security of the different neighborhood groups "have fire extinguishers and know perfectly how to act."
The L'Eixample and Vall d'Hebron fire stations will be the first units activated in the event of problems that require their presence. "Faced with an emergency, we estimate to arrive in less than 5 minutes," said Bové. The days that the acts of fires are carried out, such as the morning ones and the 'correfoc', agents will attend to control that there are no elements on balconies or nearby that pose a risk. The same activities will also have the accompaniment of a vehicle with a command and 4 firefighters available. The most massive 'correfocs' will be assisted with two large fire engines and in the morning a small one that will follow the parade behind.
