| Military Emergencies Unit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 11 April 2006 – present |
| Country | Spain |
| Branch | Spanish Armed Forces |
| Role | Emergency management |
| Size | 3,987 (2008) |
| Part of | Ministry of Defence |
| Headquarters | Torrejón Air Base |
| Motto(s) | Para servir (To serve) |
| Colors | Yellow |
| March | "Himno UME" |
| Anniversaries | October 7 |
| Website | www.mde.es/ume |
| Commanders | |
| Commander in Chief | King Juan Carlos I |
| Ceremonial chief | Lt General José Emilio Roldán Pascual |
| Insignia | |
| Patch | File:UME patch.png |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Utility helicopter | Canadair CL-215, Eurocopter EC135 |
| Transport | Eurocopter AS532 Cougar |
The Military Emergencies Unit (Spanish language: Unidad Militar de Emergencias , UME; IPA: [uniˈðad miliˈtar ðe emerˈxenθjas]) is a branch of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for providing disaster relief throughout Spain mainly, and abroad if required. It is the newest branch of the Spanish Armed Forces.
History[]
The decision to create the Military Emergencies Unit was agreed upon at a cabinet meeting of the Zapatero administration on October 7, 2005.[1] This was enacted in law by the Real Decreto 416/2006 (Royal Decree 416/2006) on April 11, 2006.[2]
Missions[]
- Intervention during emergency situations that have their origin in natural hazards; among these are floods, spill-overs, earthquakes, land slides, large snow storms and other adverse weather conditions.
- Intervention fighting forest fires.
- Intervention during emergency situations derived from technological hazards; among which are chemical, nuclear, radiological and biological hazards
- Intervention during emergency situations as a consequence of terrorist attacks or illicit or violent acts, including those acts against critical infrastructures, dangerous installations or with nuclear, biological, radiological or chemical agents.
- Intervention during situations of environmental contamination.
- Intervention during any other emergency situation deemed appropriate by the Prime Minister of Spain.
Organisation[]
The UME consists of Headquarters (Unidad de Cuartel General, UCG), five emergency intervention battalions (Batallon de Intervención en Emergencias, BIEM), a support regiment (Regimiento de Apoyo a Emergencias, RAEM) and an aerial group (Agrupación de Medios Aéreos, AGRUMEDA)
| Name | Headquarters | Areas Served |
|---|---|---|
| BIEM I | Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base | Ávila, Segovia, Madrid, Cáceres, Guadalajara, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Toledo, Cáceres |
| BIEM II | Morón Air Base | Badajoz, Huelva, Sevilla, Cádiz, Málaga, Córdoba, Jaén, Granada, Jaén, Ceuta, Melilla, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote, La Palma, Tenerife |
| BIEM III | Bétera | Albacete, Murcia, Alicante, Valencia, Castellón, Balearic Islands |
| BIEM IV | Zaragoza Air Base | Biscay, Guipúzcoa, Álava, La Rioja, Soria, Navarre, Zaragoza, Huesca, Teruel, Lleida, Tarragona, Barcelona, Girona |
| BIEM V | San Andrés del Rabanedo | Pontevedra, A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense, Asturias, Cantabria, León, Zamora, Salamanca, Valladolid, Palencia, Burgos |
| Name | Headquarters |
|---|---|
| UCG | Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base |
| RAEM | |
| AGRUMEDA |
See also[]
- 2011 Lorca earthquake
References[]
- ↑ "RESOLUCIÓN de 19 de enero de 2006, de la Subsecretaría, por la que se da publicidad al Acuerdo de Consejo de Ministros por el que se crea la Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME).". Boletín Oficial del Estado. http://www.boe.es/aeboe/consultas/bases_datos/doc.php?coleccion=iberlex&id=2006/00843&txtlen=1000.
- ↑ "Real Decreto 416/2006, de 11 de abril, por el que se establece la organización y el despliegue de la Fuerza del Ejército de Tierra, de la Armada y del Ejército del Aire, así como de la Unidad Militar de Emergencias.". Boletín Oficial del Estado. http://www.boe.es/aeboe/consultas/bases_datos/act.php?id=BOE-A-2006-7168.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Military Emergencies Unit and the edit history here.