Reminder: All phones in Tenerife will sound emergency alarm in volcanic drill on Friday
Residents and visitors in Tenerife are being reminded that they may receive a loud emergency alert on their mobile phones this Friday, 26th September, as part of Spain’s first large-scale volcanic evacuation simulation. The test message is part of a government exercise in Garachico to ensure Tenerife is prepared in the event of a potential volcanic emergency.
The message will arrive as a text alert, accompanied by a distinctive alarm sound, even if the phone is on silent. Authorities stress that it is only a drill and there is no cause for concern. The aim is to familiarise the population with how the system works, ensuring everyone knows what to expect if such an alert were ever sent in a real emergency.
As part of the preparations, the Cabildo de Tenerife’s Security and Emergencies Directorate has distributed family evacuation kits to local residents in Garachico, where the drill will take place. Around one hundred people received the backpacks during training sessions at the San Francisco Convent this week.
The kits, developed in collaboration with the Red Cross, are designed to help households be ready should they ever need to leave their homes quickly. Each backpack contains a 9-LED torch, thermal blanket, multi-purpose pouch, travel set for toiletries, an A4 document holder, notebook and pen, and a battery-powered radio with spare batteries. Officials explained that these items provide basic support for families while giving the emergency services more time to coordinate their response.
Marcos Lorenzo, Deputy Minister of Security and Emergencies, said that the island must “face these risks in order to be better prepared for any emergency”. Garachico’s mayor, José Heriberto González, added that the exercise is “a crucial turning point” for the town and essential to protect both lives and property.
The Cabildo confirmed that the evacuation kit programme will eventually be extended to the rest of the island, with lessons learned from this week’s drill used to improve future training and planning.
Authorities are encouraging everyone in Tenerife not to be alarmed when they receive the test alert on Friday, reminding people that the exercise is an important step towards strengthening safety and readiness across the Canary Islands.
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