Playa del Carmen Adds Lifeguard Stations and Patrol Vehicles as Swimmers Ignore Red Flags

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Playa del Carmen will install new lifeguard stations and deploy vehicles for preventive patrols along its beaches as officials keep contending with swimmers who enter the water despite red flag warnings.

Darwin Covarrubias Góngora, secretary of Civil Protection, Risk Prevention and Firefighters, said the additional infrastructure and the coming patrol vehicles will strengthen surveillance along the municipality’s coastline.

The official said incidents in the coastal zone have declined thanks to coordinated operations and efforts to inform residents and visitors about the risks. Public beaches with the heaviest foot traffic generate the most reports, he added, so preventive teams keep a constant presence there alongside the municipal Citizen Security Department.

Patrols also check boat operators

Covarrubias Góngora said the patrols also advise beachgoers to hire maritime service providers that hold the required permits and follow safety measures. Those checks are carried out with authorities from all three levels of government as the high season approaches.

Firefighters train at international congress

On training, the secretary pointed to the recent International Firefighters Congress, which he said let personnel update their techniques and learn about new technologies from national and international instructors.

More than 7,000 training certificates were issued during the event, which drew between 2,000 and 3,000 firefighters from Playa del Carmen, the Yucatan Peninsula and other parts of Mexico, according to the secretary.