Military Emergencies Unit

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name= Emergency Military Unit

|native_name= {{lang|es|Unidad Militar de Emergencias}}

|image= Coat of Arms of the UME.svg

|image_size= 150

|caption= Coat of arms of the unit

|start_date= {{Start date and age|2005|10|7}}

|country= {{ESP}}

|allegiance=

|type=

|role= Emergency management

|size= 3,987 (2008)

|command_structure= 25px Spanish Armed Forces

|garrison= Torrejón Air Base

|garrison_label= Headquarters

|nickname=

|patron=

|motto= Perseverando para servir (Persevering to serve)

|colors= Yellow {{color box|#FFCD00}}

|colors_label=

|march= "Himno UME"

|mascot=

|equipment=

|equipment_label=

|battles=

|anniversaries= October 7

|decorations=

|battle_honours=

|disbanded=

|flying_hours=

|website= [http://www.mde.es/ume/ www.mde.es/ume]

|commander1= {{flagicon image|Estandarte Real de España.svg}} King Felipe VI

|commander1_label= Commander in Chief

|commander2=15px Lt General Luis Manuel Martínez Meijide

|commander2_label=Unit Commander

|commander3=

|commander3_label=

|commander4=

|commander4_label=

|notable_commanders=

|identification_symbol= 215px

|identification_symbol_label=Guidon

|identification_symbol_2=

|identification_symbol_2_label=

|identification_symbol_3=

|identification_symbol_3_label=

|identification_symbol_4=

|identification_symbol_4_label=

|aircraft_attack=

|aircraft_bomber=Canadair CL-215

|aircraft_electronic=

|aircraft_fighter=

|aircraft_helicopter=

|aircraft_helicopter_attack=

|aircraft_helicopter_cargo=

|aircraft_helicopter_multirole=

|aircraft_helicopter_observation=

|aircraft_helicopter_transport=

|aircraft_helicopter_utility=Eurocopter EC135

|aircraft_interceptor=

|aircraft_patrol=

|aircraft_recon=

|aircraft_trainer=

|aircraft_transport=Eurocopter AS532 Cougar

}}

The Emergency Military Unit ({{langx|es|Unidad Militar de Emergencias}}, UME; {{IPA|es|uniˈðað miliˈtaɾ ðe emeɾˈxenθjas|IPA}}) 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.boe.es/aeboe/consultas/bases_datos/doc.php?coleccion=iberlex&id=2006/00843&txtlen=1000|title=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).|publisher=Boletín Oficial del Estado}} This was enacted in law by the Real Decreto 416/2006 (Royal Decree 416/2006) on April 11, 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.boe.es/aeboe/consultas/bases_datos/act.php?id=BOE-A-2006-7168|title=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.|publisher=Boletín Oficial del Estado}}

Missions

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.
Intervention fighting forest fires.
Intervention during emergencies derived from technological hazards; among which are chemical, nuclear, radiological and biological hazards.
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.
Intervention during situations of environmental contamination.
Intervention during any other emergency deemed appropriate by the Prime Minister of Spain.

Chiefs

class="wikitable"

!Rank

!Name

!Start

!End

rowspan=5|Lieutenant general

|Fulgencio Coll Bucher

|21 January 2006{{Cite web|url=https://boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2006-957|title=Royal Decree 39/2006, of January 20, appointing Mr. Fulgencio Coll Bucher as Chief of the Military Emergency Unit.|website=boe.es|access-date=2019-10-23}}

|19 July 2008

José Emilio Roldán Pascual

|25 July 2008{{Cite web|url=https://boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2008-12735|title=Royal Decree 1335/2008, of July 24, appointing Lieutenant General Mr. José Emilio Roldán Pascual, as Chief of the Military Emergency Unit.|website=boe.es|access-date=2019-10-23}}

|26 September 2012

Cesar Muro Benayas

|28 September 2012{{Cite web|url=https://boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2012-12142|title=Royal Decree 1368/2012, of September 27, appointing Lieutenant General César Muro Benayas as Chief of the Military Emergency Unit.|website=boe.es|access-date=2019-10-23}}

|15 May 2015

Miguel Alcañíz Comas

|23 May 2015{{Cite web|url=https://boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2015-5684|title=Royal Decree 392/2015, of May 22, appointing as Chief of the Military Emergency Unit to Miguel Alcañíz Comas.|website=boe.es|access-date=2019-10-23}}

|16 October 2019{{Cite web|url=http://www.ume.mde.es/noticias/2019/10/Noticias/despedida_general_alcaniz.html|title=Unidad Militar de Emergencias- El general Miguel Alcañiz pasa a la Reserva y cesa como jefe de la Unidad Militar de Emergencias|website=www.ume.mde.es|access-date=2019-10-23}}

Luis Manuel Martínez Meijide

|23 October 2019{{Cite web|url=https://abcblogs.abc.es/tierra-mar-aire/otros-temas/el-teniente-general-luis-martinez-meijide-nuevo-jefe-de-la-ume.html|title=El teniente general Luis Martínez Meijide, nuevo jefe de la UME - Por Tierra, Mar y Aire|date=2019-10-23|website=ABC Blogs|language=es|access-date=2019-10-23}}

|Incumbent

Organisation

The UME consists of Headquarters ({{lang|es|Unidad de Cuartel General}}, UCG),

five emergency intervention battalions ({{Lang|es|Batallon de Intervención en Emergencias}}, BIEM),
a support regiment ({{lang|es|Regimiento de Apoyo a Emergencias}}, RAEM),
a communications battalion ({{lang|es|Batallón de Transmisiones}}, BTUME) and
an aviation group ({{lang|es|Agrupación de Medios Aéreos}}, AGRUMEDA)

class="wikitable"

! Name

! Headquarters

! Areas Served

BIEM I

| Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base

| Ávila, Segovia, Madrid, Cáceres, Guadalajara, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Toledo

BIEM II

| Morón Air Base

| Badajoz, Huelva, Sevilla, Cádiz, Málaga, Córdoba, Jaén, Granada, Ceuta, Melilla, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote, La Palma, Tenerife