It commemorated the 137th anniversary of the creation of the services
The 137th anniversary of the creation of the Fire Service, as well as National Firefighter and Volunteer Firefighter Day, were commemorated at the department headquarters. On the occasion, the Undersecretary of the Interior, Pablo Abdala, recognized that it is a “professional, competitive, strengthened and ready institution to face the greatest challenges”, which is going through an “auspicious present.”
The activity, held at the Centenario Barracks, was also attended by the Vice President of the Republic, Beatriz Argimón; the director of the National Police, José Manuel Azambuya, and the person in charge of the National Fire Department, Richard Barboza.
During the day, Abdala expressed his recognition and support for the workers who make up the National Fire Department, an institution that, as he declared, forms a “main column” for the Ministry of the Interior, which protects Uruguayans in the enjoyment of their lives. , goods and spaces. He also referred to the process of strengthening and increasing the service’s capabilities in recent years, as well as the institutional and moral support given to it.
The leader also mentioned the increase in investment, which led to the incorporation of vehicles and improvements in equipment. In that sense, he stressed that 90,000,000 pesos were allocated, in the last year, to the purchase of material so that the troops can carry out tasks more safely, for example, gloves, helmets, belts, footwear and tools, such as chainsaws. , compressors, pumps, flexible backpacks and approach suits, among others.
On the other hand, he recalled the recent installation of a fire detection system with revolutionary characteristics, to locate risks and intervene early, and which will represent a qualitative and transformative advance in the fight against fires. Finally, he celebrated that it is a “professional, competitive, strengthened and ready institution to face the greatest challenges.”
Currently, the Fire Department is made up of 1,580 executive personnel, distributed in 78 detachments throughout the country. The renewal of the vehicle fleet involved the acquisition of ten urban trucks and five urban-forestry trucks, to which another five will be added next December, to deal with structural and forest fires.
