Yesterday, Sunday, on the occasion of the commemoration of the International Day of Civil Protection, the Council of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell held an emotional institutional act at El Puig building to acknowledge the courage and spirit of support of its local group of volunteers.
The event, led by the mayor, Miguel Ángel García, the Councilor of Citizens’ Security, María José Ivars, and the head of Civil Protection, Arturo Esteve, focused on the award ceremony of the DANA 2024 Honorary Participation Badge. This emblem is an official acknowledgement from the Ministry of the Interior to reward the «exceptional performance» and dedication of the personnel who intervened in the floods of Valencia in October 2024.
The day began with a respectful minute of silence in memory of the victims of the tragedy. Next, the head of the group, Arturo Esteve, recalled the first moments of the emergency: «When we were aware of the magnitude of the tragedy, we loaded the first thing we had: water and food provided by Caritas, and we left in convoy to Paiporta.» Esteve described the impact of arriving on the ground: «I can’t put into words what we felt: the smell of mud, people’s faces… We returned in silence, thinking how something so big could have happened.» He also stressed that the help was not only from the volunteers, but from an entire town that turned out to make up to five trips of material in vans and trucks.
The Councillor of Citizens’ Security, María José Ivars, underlined the pride that the consistory feels for the immediate response of the neighbors and local associations: the Women’s Association, Cáritas, AVIB, Vecinos Cooperando and TM Lions.
«Benitatxell was lucky enough to be far from the affected area, but the people from here did not sit without nothing to do,» said Ivars before addressing the attendees directly. «Beyond the duty, there are you. Not only did you take the material, but you stayed there to remove mud and debris. We are proud of you because you are the best.»
The mayor, Miguel Ángel García, closed the event by highlighting the vocational nature of the volunteers, who subtract hours from their family life out of pure «humanity». García recalled his personal experience accompanying the group in the relief work: «I felt like a ‘mindundi’ by your side seeing your operational capacity and your knowledge. We should all have that basic training for these situations.»
The mayor also had words of gratitude for Josefa Ronda, former mayor present at the event, under whose ruling the group was founded. «It was a triumph to found Civil Protection. Seeing where it is today, remembering the founding members such as Vicent, Arturo or the remembered José Antonio Ivars, is a real pride for our people».
The members of the group who received the honorary distinction are: Jesús Catalá, Antonia Martínez, Jaime Pastor, Begoña Roig, Félix Rojas, Rocío Montiel, Adrián Vallés, Álvaro Pérez, Joaquín Sebastián González, María Casilda Marín, Manuel López, José Andrades, Vicente Bolufer, Aarón Pastor and Arturo Esteve.
After the medal ceremony, the attendees shared a small aperitif at the Civil Protection headquarters, celebrating the consolidation of a body that is already an example of humanitarian action in the region.
