July 17, 2023, 4:00 AM
July 17, 2023, 4:00 AM
“The State fails the volunteers, but they do not fail society,” said Daniela Justiniano, from the organization Alas Chiquitanas, which since the 2019 fires in Chiquitania has become a support for the work of volunteer firefighters.
Justiniano regretted that not only do they have to carry out constant fundraising campaigns to continue operating, but they also collide with the indifference of the public apparatus, which even makes it difficult for them to receive donations.
“The relationship is not reciprocal, they provide a service to citizens when emergencies exceed the government side, which by the way is always exceeded,” he questioned.
He also recalled that all fire equipment is very expensive, and that volunteers mobilize with donation campaigns to cover their operating expenses, fuel, basic services at the stations, etc.
He cited the 2019 fires as an example, since after that disaster there was no replacement of the equipment that was damaged, such as forest backpacks, fire bats, gloves, and boots “which are very expensive. Equipping a firefighter costs more than $1,000 with really specialized items for attention to forest and structural fires,” she asserted.
To illustrate this abandonment of the State, Álvaro Castillo, commander of the UUBR volunteer firefighters, and also a spokesperson for the Santa Cruz Fire Department Board, recalled that there is Law 449, which when it was in draft contemplated the voluntary sector in an exclusive way, which implied them “quite a fight, because they wanted to get the law out as it is”, but thanks to the fact that they articulated, there was progress.
He also recognized that there is a tussle between the volunteer firefighters and the police. He questioned whether the need for volunteer firefighters had been generated in the police ranks, which seems absurd to him.
“No government entity should have volunteers because this would lend itself to attracting resources as a donation. If we, as volunteers, already have better equipment, vehicles, preparation, and without receiving from the State, ”he illustrated.
The Santa Cruz volunteer firefighters declared an emergency, after the Solidarity Foundation (Fundasol) was asked to vacate the premises where their barracks operate within 30 days.
According to Enrique Bruno, commander of Fundasol, they received a letter from the Police Departmental Command requesting that they leave the land they have occupied for 30 years, arguing that a fire unit will be built.
Castillo takes this eviction as a direct attack by the Police. “Fundasol has the only car with a ladder that works in Santa Cruz, thanks to the support it receives,” he recalled.
The UUBR leader stressed that the volunteers are not improvised, but that they have a center where everything is reported. “In Santa Cruz there are five active volunteer fire stations: Fundasol, UUBR, Rescate Urbano, Jenecherú, and Bomberos Santa Cruz. Besides there is a police fire station, and another of the Mayor’s Office. In other words, there are five of us volunteers, and only two of the state ones, ”he clarified.
For him, without the help of volunteer firefighters, it would be impossible for the employees of the public apparatus to put out large-scale fires, such as the one in Empacar, “because it is not only about water and personnel, but also about logistics,” he asserted. .
In order to survive, Castillo said that they manage help with their peers from other countries, but that they also organize activities, such as the sale of food, souvenirs, car washes, etc.
He recognized that the collection of funds to help the volunteer work of firefighters is a worldwide practice, but criticized the sustained collection throughout the year.
“It’s not right, but since the State doesn’t give us resources, we ask that at least they don’t put obstacles in the way of generating resources, equipment, vehicles,” he said, giving an example that even receiving donated fire trucks has obstacles, like the years of antiquity.
He recalled that there is a Police standard, SIPPCI, which regulates buildings, commercial premises in terms of fire safety, which says that the Police is the only entity to carry out the SIPPCI inspection.
“For this inspection, the Police receive collections in UFV, and we all know that the Police do not have the capacity to carry out this inspection in all of Santa Cruz, but they closed the possibility that the volunteers also carry out this type of inspection, because for them it was try to collect ”, he alluded.
They have significant expenses
Hugo Vargas, commander of the Urban Rescue group, which serves Villa Primero de Mayo and La Pampa de la Isla, is sure that most of the volunteers share the same needs.
These mainly have to do with operating expenses, such as the payment of basic services, purchase of fuel and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Specifically for Rescate Urbano, an old need is for a fire truck, for which they carried out a variety of campaigns, but never reached the amount.
As a way of gathering resources, the Vargas group settles at the traffic lights on Avenida Tres Pasos al Frente, and bucket or can in hand, they appeal to the goodwill of the citizenry.
He said they have no right to be frustrated by the lack of support, because they can’t refuse to come when someone calls crying and screaming because their home is on fire.
They require about Bs 3,500 per month for fuel, and about Bs 21,000 per year for vehicle maintenance. For now, they are resigned to responding to emergencies with a vehicle that tows a thousand-liter tank.
