Cruz Gómez, general secretary of the Union of Workers of the Distinguished Fire Department, refers to the alleged acts of corruption and the dismissal of the accused firefighters. He said that not all firefighters are the same.
He indicated that the procedures in the Fire Department, which are linked to the mayor’s office, are very bureaucratic; he also pointed out that cases of corruption are always heard but people report them because they are part of the corrupt system.
According to Gomez, firefighters have often been pressured by politicians, including presidents, to approve or expedite building permit applications for people who do not comply and are paid to do so.
He also referred to the shortage of personnel in the Fire Department, where he said that the recruitment does not even reach 50 firefighters due to budget cuts, in addition to the lack of vehicles and the poor condition of the fire stations.
