Envigado Bomberos came to The Columbus School from November 30th until December 4th to prepare the Colombian Fire Fighters Disaster Manual for 2016-2030.

Envigado Bomberos stayed at The Columbus School for the First Urban Rescue Movement, whose purpose is to test the different preparation, mobilization operation and demobilization processes in the event of a catastrophic disaster like an earthquake.   

“About 350 or 400 firefighters are coming, They will bring everything, their portable bathrooms, their light or electricity, their water, their food; as if there is nothing left.  They will sleep here and then in the morning they leave to Medellin and start their routines,” Byron Martinez, Columbus School Maintenance Coordinator, said.

A series of scenarios of possible occurrences in the Valley of Aburra were recreated daily, one of them simulating a major earthquake.  

“They are going to go and attend people or events from everything that happened in Medellin based on this simulation or catastrophe,” Martinez said.

The firefighters had to leave the school in the morning to continue their preparations and complete their exercises.  

“We will go to different zones in Medellin and test or simulate different exercises so that when they truly happen, we will be ready and others will be too,” Bombero Daisy Posada said.

Firefighters take steps to prevent fires, act as emergency medical technicians and are almost always the first responders on the scene at fires, car accidents and other emergencies.  

“The firemen will go to Medellin and perform different types of accident simulations like CPR, or for example if there is ever a fire we will know the right steps to stop it from spreading,” Bombero Roberto Urquijo said.

Envigado Bomberos came to the city of Medellin with the purpose of fulfilling their goal, to be completely prepared for future emergency situations where they will be needed.  

“We want to be ready or have the correct steps for whenever there is a real catastrophe in Medellin or even in Colombia, as there have been in the past,” Bombero Carolina Muñoz  said.

One example of the real life uses for their extensive preparedness training occurred on October 12th, 2013 Tower #6 of the Space residential complex in Poblado collapsed.  In this case, 12 people were killed as the Bomberos were forced to deal with a large number of casualties in a situation similar to what they would face in the event of an earthquake. 

“An experience that has impacted my life is the collapse of the Space buildings; I was the commanding firefighter and this impacted me in the way that the families were hurting, how they could find their other family members and how they never lost hope,” Urquijo said.

The Columbus School was selected as the site for this event of national repercussion due to its facilities and strategic location.  

“The school would be their meeting point and they will stay in the upper High School soccer field; they will arrive right after Noche de Velitas is over more or less at 9:30 pm,” Martinez, said.  

The dangers of a Bombero’s job is everpresent, especially in the event of a major disaster.

“What is most difficult about this is the sacrifice with my family; they know that I am always at risk; that I am confronting to really bad and extreme things,” Posada said.

However, the feeling of satisfaction after helping a person or community in danger makes the sacrifices worth it.   

“What I like the most is saving people, saving lives, saving the urban life; it could be saving in water, saving in fallen buildings, saving in heights or saving in cars,” Urquijo said.