Civil Protection at Full Capacity for World Cup Ski Races in Andorra
Intensive safety preparations ensure secure weekend of downhill and super-G events at Grandvalira, with avalanche monitoring and rapid response.
Key Points
- Multi-agency planning since November covers access roads, medical response, and avalanche control.
- Avalanche risks monitored on key routes; preventive blasts and daily bulletins issued.
- Security includes police, firefighters, 100 volunteers; medical teams at finish line and Soldeu.
- January rehearsal tested helicopter evacuation protocols for severe injuries.
Civil Protection's setup for the World Cup ski races is operating at full capacity ahead of the decisive competition weekend, following two days of intense training sessions. Eduard Vergara, head of planning and emergencies, emphasised that the priority is to ensure safety for the event, athletes, and spectators during the three speed events—downhill, super-G, and another downhill—compressed into three days.
Planning began last November with an initial meeting involving key stakeholders, including the Civil Protection Department, Emergency Services, Police, Canillo Traffic Service, Government Mobility and Transport, and the National Meteorological Service. Health responders include Urgent Medical Service, ski resort doctors, piste teams, the Firefighters' Mountain Rescue Group (GRM), and the Andorran Red Cross.
Responsibilities are clearly divided: Civil Protection oversees access roads and surrounding incidents, while the event organisers handle security within the ski domain at Grandvalira. Daily pre-event meetings review schedules, communications, and potential issues to keep operations smooth.
Avalanche risks receive close scrutiny, particularly along the Soldeu to Bordes d'Envalira access route and the Guardiola area, where gasex flares enable preventive blasts if danger thresholds are exceeded. Within the ski domain, resort teams use explosives at sensitive points each morning. Favourable weather has eased concerns—no avalanche alerts have been issued recently, despite heavy snow accumulation earlier in late January and early February. The Meteorological Service provides daily risk bulletins.
Security features three on-site police officers, bolstered by firefighters and private security firms, alongside around 100 Grandvalira volunteers. Medically, an advanced station team at the finish line comprises a doctor, nurse, and technician, with 18 staff at Soldeu-El Tarter—including one doctor, three nurses, and 14 piste professionals—plus GRM and six Civil Protection volunteers.
A rehearsal on 30 January tested protocols for a severe athlete injury requiring helicopter evacuation, with GRM handling aerial rescues. Vergara noted the focus on verifying response times, alerts, and fluid communications among all parties. Helicopter support remains on standby, ensuring comprehensive coordination for a secure event.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: