The Barcelona 112 service faced severe saturation as Storm Nils swept across the region. Consequently, emergency workers have raised the alarm regarding critical bottlenecks. Staff representatives report that a lack of personnel has led to citizens facing wait times of over 20 minutes to speak with an operator.
The works committee for the emergency service has denounced the conditions to local media. They highlight a systemic failure to cope with high-volume events. According to the workers, the overload is so severe that even local police forces are struggling to make contact with the Barcelona 112 service.
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Barcelona 112 Service Wait Times Exceed 20 Minutes
As the storm battered the Catalan capital, staffing levels were reportedly insufficient. During the peak of the alert, only 21 operators were managing calls for Barcelona. Meanwhile, a total of approximately 40 staff covered the entirety of Catalonia.
“There are queues and waits that exceed 20 minutes until, finally, they can contact a manager,” representatives from the committee stated. They described the volume of calls as “brutal”. Therefore, they warned that the current workforce cannot manage the backlog of incidents accumulating in the queue.
While reinforcements were eventually called in, adding four professionals to the 17 who started the shift in the Barcelona centre, workers argue this response is symptomatic of a broader organisational failure.
Chronic Understaffing in Barcelona 112 Service
The unions argue that the chaos caused by Storm Nils is not an isolated incident. Instead, it is the result of “perpetual understaffing”. Workers have criticised the internal organisation for failing to prepare for predictable surges in demand during adverse weather events.
Tensions have been rising for some time. Recently, 112 workers blocked a major road in central Barcelona to demand the internalisation of their service. They seek to become direct public employees rather than outsourced staff. Supported by delegations from other regions, they marched to protest a lack of resources, poor working conditions, and a lack of professional recognition.
Infrastructure Concerns for the Service
Beyond staffing numbers, safety concerns regarding the physical infrastructure of the Barcelona 112 service have also emerged. Workers highlighted a recent incident at the new 112 building on Gran Via in L’Hospitalet. This facility reportedly cost over €60 million.
According to staff, a block of concrete recently fell from the structure. This led to areas being sealed off. “Now everything is sealed off and perimetred. We will see if it holds up and in what condition,” they added, questioning the safety of the new headquarters.
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