- The Tenerife Cabildo presents ‘EU-Modex Tenerife’: the volcanic drill bringing together over 1,000 national and international personnel in Garachico
- According to President Rosa Dávila, “this will be a week of science, training, but above all, a week to demonstrate the Cabildo Insular’s commitment to protecting Tenerife”
- From 22nd to 27th September, the island will host technical panels with European experts, public activities, and a field exercise that will represent an unprecedented deployment in Garachico
The Tenerife Cabildo presents ‘EU-Modex Tenerife’: the volcanic drill bringing together over 1,000 national and international personnel in Garachico
According to President Rosa Dávila, “this will be a week of science, training, but above all, a week to demonstrate the Cabildo Insular’s commitment to protecting Tenerife”
From 22nd to 27th September, the island will host technical panels with European experts, public activities, and a field exercise that will represent an unprecedented deployment in Garachico
The President of the Tenerife Cabildo has today launched the European exercise EU-MODEX Tenerife 2025, which will take place from 22nd to 27th September in Garachico. On Friday 26th, it will include the first volcanic eruption simulation ever conducted in Spain. This exercise is part of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) and will involve over 1,000 personnel from various countries and emergency and rescue organisations.
During the presentation, the President of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, emphasised that “MODEX Tenerife 2025 is a collective commitment to the safety of our island. Prevention, international coordination, and citizen preparedness are tools that save lives. The Cabildo is working to make Tenerife a safer island.”
The Cabildo leads this operation alongside the Government of the Canary Islands, the Subdelegation of the Government, and the 31 municipalities of the island, including the Town Hall of Garachico and European institutions, with participation from Civil Protection agencies from several EU member states.
The Subdelegate of the Government in the Canary Islands, Jesús Javier Plata Vera, stated, “from the very beginning, the Government of Spain has made all its resources available for this drill. This is a test to highlight the cooperation of all state security forces and to demonstrate coordination with various administrations.”
For the Government of the Canary Islands, this is also a test. The Deputy Director of Emergencies, Carlos Esquivel, indicated this “is to address the shortcomings identified during the La Palma volcanic eruption and enhance our emergency response.”
Other participants include UME, the Tenerife Fire Consortium, the Civil Guard, National Police, Red Cross, and scientific bodies such as the National Geographic Institute, CSIC-IGME, and the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute.
Through the EU-Modex Tenerife drill, the island authority is leading the exercise, involving the Government of the Canary Islands through CECOES 112, positioning the island as a European reference in volcanic emergency prevention, preparation, and response.
Workshops and plenary sessions: 24th and 25th September
In the days leading up to the drill, technical panels and plenary sessions organised by the University of La Laguna (ULL) will be conducted, bringing together representatives from institutions, security forces, and scientific organisations. These sessions will provide a forum to analyse action protocols, coordinate resources, enhance crisis communication, and share national and international experiences in volcanic risk management. The final conclusions will help improve and strengthen the activation and coordination of PEVOLCA/PAIV during eruptions, ensuring interoperability among administrations (Cabildo, Government of the Canary Islands, State, and Tenerife municipalities), and updating the Municipal Emergency Plans of all 31 municipalities regarding evacuation, registration, and shelter.
Drill Day: Friday 26th September
The field exercise in Garachico will commence at 08:00 on Friday 26th September. The drill includes a simulated evacuation of part of Garachico’s historical quarter, the deployment of personnel for incident response, assistance for people with reduced mobility, management of temporary shelters, and operational coordination among all municipalities, security forces, and emergency services.
Additionally, at 09:00, an official ES-ALERT message will be sent to the entire population of Tenerife, clearly marked as DRILL, urging residents not to panic at any time.
During the drill, road access from the TF-42 to Garachico and vice versa will be open to light vehicles. However, from 10:00 to 13:00, traffic will be reorganised within the historic area due to planned exercises on Avenida Adolfo Suárez (Maritime Avenue). This traffic management will restrict local parking on internal streets, with the football pitch parking designated solely for local residents. Additional parking will be available at the Marina for visitors.
Heavy vehicle traffic will be restricted on the TF-42 from Icod de los Vinos’ entry to the historic area by the health centre between 10:00 and 13:00, except for regular Titsa service vehicles. Heavy vehicles will need to detour from the roundabout at the health centre towards the TF-82 road going to the Las Canales and San Juan del Reparo areas from where the TF-421 leads into Garachico, and vice versa.
Cultural and educational activities from 22nd to 27th September
Throughout the week, there will be exhibitions, scientific talks, film cycles, Volcanic Cafés, geotourism routes, and educational activities in Garachico, as well as training sessions facilitated by the island’s professional colleges, including Notaries, the Compensation Consortium of Insurances, and Property Administrators, all open and free to the public.
Historical Context: Trevejo, 1706
Tenerife is home to Teide, one of Europe’s largest volcanoes, and Garachico serves as an historical and symbolic backdrop: in 1706, the eruption of the Trevejo volcano destroyed its harbour and forever transformed the town. For Garachico’s Mayor, José Heriberto Gonzalez, “hosting this simulation in our municipality is a testament to our residents’ resilience; we are ready to be the stage that demonstrates Tenerife’s preparedness for an emergency of this magnitude.”
The EU-Modex Tenerife 2025 exercise draws on this historical precedent to rehearse evacuation scenarios, institutional coordination, accommodation for evacuees, chemical emergency management, and rescue operations, testing the island’s and Europe’s capacity to respond to volcanic risks.
“We want the citizens to understand that this drill is not a real emergency, but an exercise in prevention, cooperation, and training,” emphasised President Rosa Dávila, who added, “At the Cabildo, we work with a clear goal: to be proactive in protecting lives. This exercise helps us to be more prepared and to share knowledge with Europe. Tenerife is, and will remain, a safer island,” she concluded.
