Military Emergencies Unit

Branch of the Spanish Armed Forces

Military unit

The Emergency Military Unit (Spanish: Unidad Militar de Emergencias, UME; IPA: [uniˈðað miliˈtaɾ ðe emeɾˈxenθjas]) 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

1. Intervention during emergencies that have their origin in natural hazards; among these are floods, spill-overs, earthquakes, land slides, large snow storms and other adverse weather conditions.
2. Intervention fighting forest fires.
3. Intervention during emergencies derived from technological hazards; among which are chemical, nuclear, radiological and biological hazards.
4. Intervention during emergencies 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.
5. Intervention during situations of environmental contamination.
6. Intervention during any other emergency deemed appropriate by the Prime Minister of Spain.

Chiefs

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),
• a communications battalion (Batallón de Transmisiones, BTUME) and
• an aviation group (Agrupación de Medios Aéreos, AGRUMEDA)

Ranks

Officers

Enlisted

Gallery

• 
  Suzuki DRZ 400 S
• 
  BMW R1200GS
• 
  Santana Aníbal
• 
  Military police vehicle
• 
  Communications vehicle Mérida
• 
  URO VAMTAC
• 
  URO M3-24.14. based BFP 40-106 J-1884 firetruck
• 
  M-113 APC
• 
  Mobile command center
• 
  Canadair CL-215T
• 
  Eurocopter EC135T-2
• 
  Zodiac IV

See also

• 2011 Lorca earthquake
• Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Emergencies

References

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. "Royal Decree 39/2006, of January 20, appointing Mr. Fulgencio Coll Bucher as Chief of the Military Emergency Unit". boe.es. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
4. "Royal Decree 1335/2008, of July 24, appointing Lieutenant General Mr. José Emilio Roldán Pascual, as Chief of the Military Emergency Unit". boe.es. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
5. "Royal Decree 1368/2012, of September 27, appointing Lieutenant General César Muro Benayas as Chief of the Military Emergency Unit". boe.es. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
6. "Royal Decree 392/2015, of May 22, appointing as Chief of the Military Emergency Unit to Miguel Alcañíz Comas". boe.es. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
7. "Unidad Militar de Emergencias- El general Miguel Alcañiz pasa a la Reserva y cesa como jefe de la Unidad Militar de Emergencias". www.ume.mde.es. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
8. "El teniente general Luis Martínez Meijide, nuevo jefe de la UME - Por Tierra, Mar y Aire". ABC Blogs (in Spanish). 2019-10-23. Retrieved 2019-10-23.

External links

• Official website