Representatives of the fire services of the provincial administrations in Aragon on 24 September 2026 in Zaragoza condemned a significant staff shortage and announced a demonstration for 1 October. According to the union CSIF the services of the Diputaciones of Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel have a total of 447 operational staff, while regional regulations require at least 641. The shortfall of 194 staff – nearly 30 per cent – is currently being compensated for by more than 117,000 hours of overtime a year.
The speakers cited the situation in the Diputación Provincial de Zaragoza as an example. There, an internal daily minimum staffing level of 27 across all stations has been set. The recent decision to temporarily stop working overtime has noticeably reduced staffing cover. Similar shortages have also been reported in Huesca and Teruel. Those involved cite unfilled posts, departures due to age and the additional pressure during the summer months, when there are numerous vegetation fires, as causes.
CSIF announced that the demonstration on 1 October in Zaragoza would go from the Plaza de España to the government building Pignatelli The demands are for vacancies to be filled quickly to meet the minimum standards set in Aragón, a significant reduction in structural overtime, and binding workforce planning to ensure the teams’ operational capability and safety. The protests are directed at the three provincial administrations and the regional government Gobierno de Aragón, as the minimum requirements are enshrined in regional regulations.
The figures and assessments come from CSIF; regional media have reported consistent figures and the announced date of the protest. The provincial administrations of Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel initially made no public comment on the demands. No confirmation of specific new hires or additional funding has yet been provided.
In the short term, the union warns of possible temporary station closures and longer response times if overtime stops or gaps caused by sickness cannot be covered. In the medium to long term, the focus will be on funding reliable increases in staffing, recruiting qualified applicants and organising standby and on-call duties. Forecasts on the timing and scale of possible reinforcements remain speculative until the administrations concerned announce decisions.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).