BajaNomad - Firefighters in Mexico

Firefighters in Mexico

dccf - 10-24-2007 at 09:31 AM

In all the pictures I've seen posted about the fires south of the border, in the last couple of days, I have yet to see a firetruck or men to man the truck. Does the country have paid firefighters or volunteers, or...?

Do they just let the fire burn itself out? Any usual loss of life in serious fires? Are citizens expected to fight their own fores?

Is there anyway to keep up to date on the fires in Mexico other than this forum? Not much reporting done on this side of the border. Altlhough I did hear on the news late last night that TJ did offer electricity to the states if needed.

Bajaboy - 10-24-2007 at 09:42 AM

and TJ also provided fire trucks and fire fighters...muchas gracias!

dccf - 10-24-2007 at 09:43 AM

Gotta be a reply to my question enen if it's just to point out my ignorance. I've never been to Mexico before and am making plans. AWWWW come on!

Bajaboy - 10-24-2007 at 09:48 AM

Reply was only meant to point out how generous Tijuana and Mexico has been during this crisis. Pretty amazing and cool in my mind.

Zac

shari - 10-24-2007 at 09:56 AM

Here in the coastal villages we do not have even a volunteer fire department or a fire truck...what we have is Proteccion Civil..which is a volunteer group of people who respond to any emergency like fire, search and rescue, floods, earthquakes, sickness, and also help our tiny police force during events like parades, races, fiestas etc. But in any emergency everyone does what they can here to help.

Mango - 10-24-2007 at 10:06 AM

To answer your question, yes. Mexico does have firefighters.

Every large city has several stations just like anywhere else in the world. They have fires here in Mexicali almost daily. They also respond to auto accidents, etc. When it comes to rural areas firefighter coverage depends.

In some areas they may have wildland fire crews; for example there is a fire station near Laguna Hansen, which is pretty much the middle of nowhere; but, is a Mexican national park. Thus, the fire crews there protect the park.

In smaller rural towns, just like in the USA, there is often no money to staff a full time station for the village. When a fire breaks out the locals band together and form bucket brigades and do the best they can with what they have.

In general, the response will be less than what you are used to and the equipment will be older. You have to think of Baja as Mexico's Alaska. It's not like many people worry too much in the USA if 10,000 acres burn in the Alaskan wilderness; but, if it were to burn in or near Anchorage... it would be a different story. Baja has a very low population compared to the rest of Mexico, so not many resources will be devoted to stop fires unless they directly threaten cities.

dccf - 10-24-2007 at 10:13 AM

Seems with all the dry brush and low rainfall, fires would be a real problem. Do the people realize the threat and work hard to keep fires from starting or have they just been lucky?

Again the pictures I've seen while lurking here over the last several months don't show "any" fire damage from previous fires.

One post I read last night says there are no trees on Baja because the mexicans cut them all down and used them for firewood!! Is there any truth to that??

[Edited on 10-24-2007 by dccf]

fdt - 10-24-2007 at 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dccf
In all the pictures I've seen posted about the fires south of the border, in the last couple of days, I have yet to see a firetruck or men to man the truck. Does the country have paid firefighters or volunteers, or...?

Do they just let the fire burn itself out? Any usual loss of life in serious fires? Are citizens expected to fight their own fores?

Is there anyway to keep up to date on the fires in Mexico other than this forum? Not much reporting done on this side of the border. Altlhough I did hear on the news late last night that TJ did offer electricity to the states if needed.

Answers:
#1.- As for pictures of firefighters or firetrucks available, there are "plenty", you are probably not looking in the right places. I will speek about the city were I am right now, Tijuana and we have volunteers and paid firefighters and the least paid one here makes over $1,100 USD monthly plus beefits and you can find the entire payrol here http://www.tijuana.gob.mx/Transparencia/Nomina.asp
Go to Bomberos y proteccion civil.

#2 Same as in the US or any other country, some fires are expected or allowed to burn themselves out or are just inaccesible to fight as we all saw with these fires because of the elements. Yes there sometimes is loss of life. No, we are not expected to fight our own fires (I think that's what you meant). Tijuana has 12 fire stations and 3 more are beeing constructed with an investment or cost of aprox. 400,000 dollars.

#3.- Regretfully there is not a very efficient news agency in the entire country, we here are also very limmited as for information. It litteraly sucks for up to date or accurate info. be it radio or TV. As for the offer of electricity to San Diego, yes, it is correct and currently we have 34 Tijuana firefighters in San Diego County along with 5 firetrucks helping out were they are most needed, they went along with volunteers and paramedics.

fdt - 10-24-2007 at 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dccf
One post I read last night says there are no trees on Baja because the mexicans cut them all down and used them for firewood!! Is there any truth to that??

[Edited on 10-24-2007 by dccf]

I'm certain it was a joke.

DENNIS - 10-24-2007 at 11:50 AM

The chain of sierras which run through Baja have high desert to alpine growth. Huge, beautiful pines in the higher areas. All protected as well. Having a chainsaw at Laguna Hanson would be like having a machine gun in Ensenada.
Baja doesn't have U.S. type resources to fight country fires so they don't try unless houses and lives are threatened. Then, they act as swiftly as possible. The efforts seen here the last couple of days were admirable. The volunteers were heroic. Lives and houses were saved and most of these guys and gals, Americans as well, don't make anything that I know of. God bless them all.

[Edited on 10-24-2007 by DENNIS]

backninedan - 10-24-2007 at 12:53 PM

We have several horse drawn hand pump fire trucks here in Loreto, if you come this way please bring them some hay and oats.

hispanola (sp)

gibson - 10-24-2007 at 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dccf

One post I read last night says there are no trees on Baja because the mexicans cut them all down and used them for firewood!! Is there any truth to that??

[Edited on 10-24-2007 by dccf]

dat be Hiati (sp) !

[Edited on 10-24-2007 by gibson]

MrsFDT - 10-24-2007 at 01:21 PM

Come on guys, DCCF is asking genuine questions. I think Mango hit on the head, with the Alaska analolgy.

Im from a very very tiny town in Kentucky called Hyden: population 1500 while I was growing up and all it was were volanteers with a rusty ol pump wagon and shovels, I think...

But come to think of it I can never recall ever having fires and im talking forest and mountains stretching to forever.
(must be why all the firemen were all beer bellied old men) :?:

Anyway the point is small towns anywhere are pretty much the same when it comes to fighting fires.

backnineden: Do you think they would let me pet the horsies, when I get a chance to get back there? I'll certainly bring some oats.

God, I wish this thing had spell check......

DENNIS - 10-24-2007 at 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrsFDT

God, I wish this thing had spell check......

Well, Simone, we do have Smell Check. We monitor each other.
What was the problem with my reply?

MrsFDT - 10-24-2007 at 03:44 PM

Quote:

Well, Simone, we do have Smell Check. We monitor each other.
What was the problem with my reply?

Your too funny :lol:

. I dont know if I want smell check, that may have some good points to it, but uhhh... well you know, I guess things like poopy come to mind, rather than roses. I must be a pesimist, :no:

Or could be the dozen or so dogs I own and my mental image is of their version of smell check.

Oh and your reply was wonderful and I also agree with it, :yes:

I was just thinking of short and sweet explanations when I commented on the posts.

bajalou - 10-24-2007 at 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrsFDT
God, I wish this thing had spell check......

Use Firefox and it has a built in spell checker!

dccf - 10-24-2007 at 04:46 PM

Thanks for all your responses. Seems like some folks tell you to ask questions, then others flame you. Just gotta do my own filtering I guess.

Oso - 10-24-2007 at 04:52 PM

BTW, yes there are Mexican firefighters and unlike the police, they enjoy a very high level of public respect. Yes, some police also save lives and risk their own and are not corrupt. But the bad apples create the impression of endemic corruption in the minds of most Mexicans. This is not so regarding the Bomberos. True, the opportunity for mordidas etc. is not there on the same level, but the respect is genuine. Riding the buses in the D.F., many times I would see a uniformed fireman get on board while the driver put his hand over the fare box refusing payment.

If you watch Mexican TV, don't miss Cantinflas in El Bombero Atómico. It'll come around sooner or later, all 1940's B&W Cantinflas movies are on a continuous loop.

dccf - 10-24-2007 at 04:55 PM

OSO,

Can I get mexican TV on the net??

DENNIS - 10-24-2007 at 04:59 PM

dccf..........

Who flamed you? You started crying after Bajaboy's first response to your question. If you can't handel answers, in this case good ones, don't ask. Go to BloodyDecks and wallow in the muck.

fdt - 10-24-2007 at 05:00 PM

dccf you can get almost anything on the net in spanish.

dccf - 10-24-2007 at 05:12 PM

Why would mrsfdt point out I was asking genuine questions if somebody hadn't given me a bum steer?

Really, I'm sorry if I got off on the wrong foot.

MrsFDT - 10-24-2007 at 05:34 PM

No wrong feet here. There isnt actually much to report with fires here and could also be part of the reason there isnt any news on it either.
I was just making more fun with the others joking around. So no worries

DENNIS - 10-24-2007 at 05:41 PM

dccf...........

Welcome to BajaNomad, amigo. Good to see you here. Sorry I snapped at you.

Oso - 10-24-2007 at 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dccf
OSO,

Can I get mexican TV on the net??

Dunno, but if you're in SoCal you should get Univision on cable and maybe some Mex channels on antenna.

You should also be able to rent DVD's (or old VHS) at any barrio video store.

[Edited on 10-25-2007 by Oso]

Alan - 10-25-2007 at 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Oso
BTW, yes there are Mexican firefighters and unlike the police, they enjoy a very high level of public respect. Yes, some police also save lives and risk their own and are not corrupt. But the bad apples create the impression of endemic corruption in the minds of most Mexicans. This is not so regarding the Bomberos. True, the opportunity for mordidas etc. is not there on the same level, but the respect is genuine. Riding the buses in the D.F., many times I would see a uniformed fireman get on board while the driver put his hand over the fare box refusing payment.

If you watch Mexican TV, don't miss Cantinflas in El Bombero Atómico. It'll come around sooner or later, all 1940's B&W Cantinflas movies are on a continuous loop.

It is very similar in the US. Police unfortunately sometimes have to do bad things to bad people and I imagine it is very difficult to determine who the bad people are so many times the good people get treated the same until things are sorted out. As a firefighter we have the benefit of always being able to help and it doesn't matter if you are good or bad, we're there.

Public trust is paramount to every firefighter I know. We couldn't do our job without it so our reactions to any inappropriate behavior is always dealt with swiftly. We are very proud of the fact that people will welcome us into their homes at any hour, day or night. I can't think of too many other professions that could be said for so we don't take your trust lightly.