Andorra Firefighters Union Warns Hiring Pace Risks Service Shortfalls Amid Growth

Andorra's firefighters' union, SIB A118, demands 9 to 11 new hires annually through 2031 to maintain adequate service ratios amid population growth and rising emergency demands, well above the government's plan of six positions per year.

The call appears in a 20-page technical study on the Fire Prevention and Extinction Corps (CPEIS) staffing, which the union has shared as an executive summary with members and in full with those requesting it. Drawing on statistics from various institutions and departmental records, the report awaits discussion in a government meeting on salaries, headcount, and equipment, though no date is confirmed.

The analysis projects 35 retirements by 2031 and notes years with zero openings. With over 40% of the 121 operational staff—51 personnel—now aged over 51 and only 24 under 41, the average age stands at 48. The union describes this as "strongly aged" and incompatible with the job's physical demands and specialized units.

To match a target of 1.5 firefighters per 1,000 inhabitants—slightly below regional equivalents—the study calls for 9.3 hires yearly using the official 2026 population of 90,021, or 10.5 based on the communal census figure of 94,596. Six annual spots would keep staffing at 121 by 2031, dropping the official ratio from 1.39 to 1.28 per 1,000. Even preserving 2024 coverage requires about eight hires yearly, yet last year's 11 openings filled only seven.

Population has climbed 25.5% since 2015 to 71,732, shrinking the ratio from 1.69 to 1.34—or 1.28 on census data—a 20.3% decline. Tourist peaks push it to 0.83 with 146,500 people, or 0.97 at the quietest 125,400.

Operations rose to 35,525 calls in 2025, up 7.8%, with 112 emergencies surging 32.6%. Medical aid and personal alerts now dominate, fires just 5%.

Aging equipment adds pressure: 17 trucks average 25 years and four months, light vehicles 12 years and seven months. Of three aerial ladders, one tops 30 years and another covers Pas de la Casa, leaving central parishes dependent on one Central Park unit. The union proposes resource redistribution, including to a Canillo garage.

SIB A118 seeks a multi-year strategy on staffing, pay, distribution, and renewal to address Andorra's needs.