Madrid is facing a situation that could affect the safety of local residents: 267 newly selected firefighting specialists are unable to begin training or start work. The reason is a lack of a company willing to conduct the mandatory medical evaluation — a requirement before taking up the job. This problem has already delayed plans to open new fire stations and has increased the workload for existing crews.
According to El Pais, regional authorities planned for the new employees to start training in the fall before joining one of the 22 fire stations. However, a failed tender for the medical evaluations has halted the process. Authorities tried to attract a private company by allocating over €116,000 for the service, but not a single organization applied. The CSIT union believes the proposed amount was too low for the market.
Delayed with consequences
The medical exam issue is not only blocking career starts for new firefighters, but also threatens the opening of two new fire stations — in Villanueva de la Cañada and Villarejo de Salvanés. CSIT estimates that the current staff is struggling with the extra workload, and overtime payments already exceed €25 million per year. The new hires were expected to increase staff by 16%, which would ease pressure and improve emergency response.
This delay takes on special significance against the backdrop of the creation of a new specialized wildfire response unit — GERIF, which is to be based in Villanueva de la Cañada. Each station requires about 60 specialists to function fully, but without new hires, it cannot open. As a result, plans to expand the network of fire stations in the region are now under threat.
External and internal challenges
Madrid authorities emphasize that hiring a private company for medical checkups was a forced decision that applies only to firefighters. Normally, these examinations are handled by the in-house medical service, but a record number of applicants made alternatives necessary. Officials are now looking for new ways to speed up the process and prevent further delays.
Trade unions criticize the regional administration for ongoing failures in organizing recruitment competitions, noting that such delays negatively affect not only candidates but also the overall efficiency of the fire service. In their view, postponing the onboarding of new staff could worsen emergency response quality and increase workloads for current firefighters.
Plans for the future
Regional authorities promise that by the end of 2026, the number of fire stations in Madrid will increase to 23, with plans to reach 28 in the future. A budget of 27 million euros has been allocated for new facilities, aiming for 90% of the population to receive assistance within 10 minutes. However, without addressing current staffing issues, these plans may remain only on paper.
The recruitment campaign for new firefighters has become the largest in recent years: usually, no more than 125 people took part in similar competitions. This time, the record number of candidates required new approaches to the process. According to El Pais, unions have already announced a protest to draw attention to the problem and speed up its resolution.
In recent years, Spain has repeatedly faced difficulties recruiting staff for emergency services. In 2023, a similar situation occurred in Valencia, where bureaucratic delays kept new firefighters from starting work for several months. Comparable problems were reported in Andalusia, where a shortage of specialists led to longer response times. These cases show that staffing disruptions in emergency response services can have serious consequences for public safety and require a systemic approach.
