The 40 rescue workers and their three search dogs who make up the special USAR (urban search and rescue) brigade from the province of Santa Fe are set to return to Argentina following an international aid mission in the heart of the areas affected by two earthquakes in Venezuela. On Saturday morning, before they set off on their return journey, Governor Maximiliano Pullaro spoke to the rescue workers and praised the work they had carried out amidst the disaster that is still ravaging that country following the earthquakes that struck more than two weeks ago.
“When it comes to our firefighters, words simply cannot express my gratitude.” Today, I had a video call with the firefighters from Santa Fe who travelled to Venezuela to help with the terrible situation they are facing” in that country, the Governor said via social media. “I want to tell you,” he added, “that after an intense week of collaboration, they are already at the airport preparing to return home.” Furthermore, the Governor emphasised that “the Province has been commended for the work of our firefighters on the ground. We people of Santa Fe put our heart and soul into everything we do, and that is why we are Invincible.”
It is worth noting that the deployment to Venezuela was organised by the Government of the Province of Santa Fe, through the Secretariat for Civil Protection and Risk Management, in coordination with the national government and the authorities responsible for the international relief operation.
The participation of the Santa Fe brigade reaffirmed the Provincial Government’s commitment to international humanitarian cooperation and highlights the level of preparedness achieved by Santa Fe’s civil protection system. The decision to deploy highly specialised personnel and state-of-the-art equipment enabled Santa Fe to assist with search and rescue operations in one of the most complex emergency situations ever recorded in that region.
A 24-hour operation
The operational base for the Santa Fe delegation was set up in the city of La Guaira, located 30 km north of Caracas, on the grounds of a football club. Eight tonnes of technical equipment were deployed there to assist with search and rescue operations in collapsed structures.
As for the tasks carried out, both the 40 brigade members and the three K9 teams were assigned to different areas of the disaster zone, coordinated by local forces. In line with this approach, the Santa Fe brigade worked in three groups over a 24-hour period, in six-hour shifts.
During the mission, the team carried out technical search operations to confirm or rule out the presence of survivors using specialised equipment and the K9 teams. They also assisted with the recovery of bodies, always under the coordination of the local authorities.
The scenarios in which the operations took place “were very complex when it came to surveying the area and conducting a systematic search”, commented Luis Ayala, Operations Secretary of the Santa Fe Federation of Volunteer Firefighters.
The Santa Fe USAR brigade worked alongside Civil Protection from Sucre, Bolivia, and another USAR brigade from Ecuador, as well as coordination staff from Venezuela and the local army.
“The scene in La Guaira is heartbreaking. On one side you see a beautiful city, and on the other, there are people searching for their relatives amongst the rubble,” said Ayala.
Once the flight from Venezuela lands this Sunday at El Palomar Air Base – scheduled for the early hours of Sunday morning – the contingent will travel by land to the province’s Federation of Volunteer Firefighters, in the town of Gálvez.
