Almodóvar del Campo approves the regulations for its Civil Protection volunteers

The City Council of Almodóvar del Campo has finalized the Regulations of the Municipal Group of Civil Protection Volunteers, the full text of which is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Ciudad Real number 198, dated October 14, 2026 (announcement number 3312, page 9725). The agreement was adopted by the Plenary of the corporation on August 31, 2026 and, as no allegations were made during the public information process, it has been made definitive. The regulation governs the organization and operation of the group and affects both volunteers and the residents of the municipality.

The regulations are based on Law 7/1985, of April 2, Regulating the Bases of the Local Regime, which assigns competencies in civil protection to city councils and mayors, and develops the mandates of Law 17/2015, of July 9, of the National Civil Protection System, and the Basic Civil Protection Standard (Royal Decree 524/2023, of June 20). The text also complies with Law 4/1995, of March 16, on Volunteering in Castilla-La Mancha.

The document consists of 34 articles divided into nine chapters—basic foundations, requirements, organization and operation, rights, duties, rewards, offenses and sanctions, temporary suspension and termination of the bond, and uniformity—plus two final provisions. It will enter into force once its full text is published in the provincial gazette and the period provided for in article 65.2 of Law 7/1985 has elapsed. Against the agreement, which ends the administrative route, a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed before the High Court of Justice of Castilla-La Mancha within two months of publication.

Requirements to join the group

Persons who reside in the municipality and meet the following conditions may join the group:

• Be eighteen years of age at the time of joining.
• Submit an express written application, with a declaration of not being disqualified from public functions by a final judgment and a commitment to comply with the regulations.
• Not suffer from any illness or physical, psychic, or sensory defect that prevents the exercise of the functions.
• Pass the suitability tests established by the City Council of Almodóvar del Campo.
• Pass the Basic Training course for applicants, whose theoretical-practical training is determined by the Citizen Protection School of Castilla-La Mancha.

A period of inactivity is considered to be more than four months, without justified cause, without participating in the required preventive measures. The group may also include collaborating volunteers and non-profit collaborating entities, linked through agreements for training, advisory, donation, or sponsorship.

Rights, duties, and municipal insurance

Volunteers shall have the right to be informed of the purposes and operation of the group, to receive training—the costs of which shall be borne by the Almodóvar del Campo City Council when the designation is made by the head of the group—, to have identification credentials and a certificate of merit issued by the Mayor-President or the delegated councilor, and to participate in the design and evaluation of activities.

The city council shall contract a civil liability insurance policy and an accident insurance policy for the volunteers, and shall assume the reimbursement of subsistence, transport, and accommodation expenses, without such compensation having a salaried nature. Duties include fulfilling the acquired commitment, obeying instructions, maintaining confidentiality, taking care of equipment, and performing a minimum of sixty annual hours of service. Volunteering activities may in no case substitute for paid work.

Command, actions, and disciplinary regime

The group depends on the Mayor’s Office and is functionally integrated into the Municipal Security System. The Mayor appoints the head of the group, whose term lasts four years, and the structure may be organized into a deputy head, unit heads, sections, groups, and teams. The territorial scope of action is the municipal district of Almodóvar del Campo; outside of it, intervention shall only occur in specific cases and with authorization from the Mayor’s Office.

Planned actions include support for firefighters, health services, and local police, the cordoning off of affected areas, informing the population, medical transport, assistance to affected persons, and traffic regulation at leisure, festive, and sporting events such as sporting competitions, processions, carnival, or pilgrimages.

The disciplinary regime distinguishes between minor offenses, sanctioned with a warning or suspension of up to one month; serious offenses, with suspension from one to six months; and very serious offenses, which entail permanent expulsion. Infractions expire after one year, three years, and five years, respectively, and the maximum resolution period is six months for serious and very serious procedures and three months for minor ones.

Uniformity and rewards

The uniform consists of a cap, anorak, polo shirt, trousers, boots, belt, and reflective vest, in accordance with Order 30/06/2010 and Order 110/2018 of the Junta de Comunidades. The Civil Protection badge shall incorporate the municipal shield and the legend “Almodóvar del Campo,” and the arm emblems shall display the group’s registration number in the regional registry. Decorations are adjusted to Order 65/2026, of May 8 (DOCM number 91, of May 15, 2026).

The entry into force of the regulation provides the municipality with a stable framework for citizen collaboration in emergencies and, for the first time, organizes the rights, duties, and responsibilities of those who make up the group. For residents, it means having a regulated voluntary service for risk prevention, rescue, and support during major local events.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Ciudad Real, no. 198, October 14, 2026, section CITY COUNCILS (Local Administration), page 9725 (official reference: announcement number 3312).