The colonel who led the assault on Perejil Islet is the new head of the Valencian Emergency Department.

ValenciaThe Valencian government has agreed to replace Alberto Martín Moratilla as Director General of Emergencies and Firefighting, a position he held since the beginning of the legislature and, therefore, during the DANA tragedy. His position will be filled by Spanish Army Colonel Vicente León Zafra, until now director of the Military History Museum of Valencia. The military officer's resume includes having commanded the helicopter squadron that intervened on the uninhabited islet of Perejil, located about two hundred meters off the African coast and about eight kilometers northwest of the city of Ceuta, when a series of rough seas erupted on July 11, 2002.

The Vice President and Spokesperson for the Consell, Susana Camarero, explained that the dismissal came at the request of Martín Moratilla, who is undergoing an internal promotion process within the Alicante Firefighters Consortium and intends to return to his former position to take up a new position.

Alberto Martín Moratilla is the last senior official of the Emergency Department remaining in the Valencian government from the team of former Minister of Justice and Interior Salomé Pradas, who is being prosecuted along with her former deputy, Emilio Argüeso, for the management of the DANA (National Emergency Plan) on October 29.

The now former director general will not leave the emergency field and will be appointed regional coordinator of prevention, firefighting, and rescue services once he takes up his position at the Alicante Firefighters Consortium. Camarero defended the need to create this position to "improve the response and coordinate the actions" of the firefighting corps, and thanked Martín "for his services."

Vicent León Zafra is the third military officer to incorporate the head of the Council, Carlos Mazón, into his executive, following the signing of retired Lieutenant General Francisco José Gan Pampols, current Second Vice President and Minister for Economic and Social Recovery, and Brigadier General Venancio Aguado, regional secretary.