Bomberos de Tigre

I haven't posted a blog for a while, I've been too tired after big days out. Also, I came down with gastro for a few days last week. It was not fun at all. I'm ok now, and have been walking around 10 kms a day since around the town. 

The places here are magical at night time. So many lights and sounds. We are in a very nice hostel in the middle of the city, where it's quiet and peaceful. I booked in on very short notice. The place we were staying at before was a hostel on the other side of the city and a complete dump and the other guests were very inconsiderate of anyone but themselves and thought it would be a great idea to start a party at 2pm while we were trying to sleep. Needless to say, we left the next day and got this great place.

But that is neither here nor there. The main reason that I wanted to post a blog was because I had a very special day last week. I went to the Tigre Sociedad Bomberos Voluntarios. Thats Tigre Volunteer Fire Brigade in English. It was AWESOME!. I walked up off the street, and with limited spanish tried to explain to the man I met that I am a volunteer firefighter back home.It turned out that the man I was speaking to was the Chief of the fire station, Comandante Mayor Rodolfo Sebastian Vandolino, and he was more than happy to show me around. He asked me about the Australian fire brigades and I asked him about the bomberos and stations in Argentina. Some of the things I found out were really cool. There are 70 bomberos in the stations around Tigre, and there are four stations in the municipality. When they get a firecall, their mobile phone rings and sends a message. They also have a siren, which we could hear from where we were staying.

When I was talking to him he showed us the Command Center of the whole Municipality. He showed the button that is used to sound the siren. When he pointed to it he made a sign of the hair on his arms standing up, patted his heart, and then pointed to his ear. I laughed and said the word 'Adrenalin!' and he laughed too and said 'Si, si, adrenalina!' Some things are the same the world over. 

He showed me over the trucks, which are enormous when compared to any fire fighting truck in Australia, he showed me the turnout room where they use the same gear as we do at the station at home, only a different colour. And I tried on Argentinian BA, which is very heavy and old when compared to an Australian set. Funnily enough the same company supplies them and the CFA. 

Most of the time we used hand signals and gestures, as well as my limited Spanish, however Google Translate is fantastic in situations such as this!

I went back the following week as I thought that he had invited me back, he had, but just not on the day that I rocked up! He meant the next week... Google Translate Fail... It was okay though, I met the administration officer, a lady who had been working at the station for around 8 years, and could speak English. She told me that Rodolfo was out but she made a phone call and told him that I was there, he promptly came down to the station, from his home, to see me, which made me feel great. Unfortunately we couldn't do anything, like visiting the other stations, like he wanted to, but he sat with me for another two hours while we talked about fire brigade. Before I left, again, that day we promised that if I return to Tigre he would cook me a parrilla with all of the bomberos. Hopefully as my Spanish improves, I will be able to call him up and arrange it when we come back to Argentina towards the end of our travels. That would be fantastic. 

Below are some photos that Brenna took on our first visit to the station. Brenna didn't come with me the second time I visited, 2 hours of fire brigade talk was enough for her!

Tigre Sociedad Bomberos Voluntarios - a very impressive building to look
at from the outside, however when you go inside it is just like any other
fire station (apart from the grand ballroom on the top floor!)

The turnout gear in the turnout room, all bomberos
wear the same gear, however the Chiefs wear a white
helmet, the sub officers wear a yellow helmet and the
bomberos wear red. The helmets are the same as the
one I have back home.

This is a close up of the big Ford 300 that the Chief gets around town in. Its
also used as a support vehicle for big fires to get supplies and take bombers
to the call.

Me inside the American style ambulance which was
donated 3 years ago to the brigade from a brigade in
America. They take this out mostly to fire calls and
some medical emergencies. Ironically the ambulance
station is next door to the fire station.

A line up of some of the American big rigs.  The truck on the far right was
also donated by a brigade in Florida, USA.

The ambulance looks more like a truck and is much bigger when compared to
the DAF water tender which holds 18,000 liters.

A beautiful old Mercedes Benz, at least 40 years old and still in service. Its a
pity I couldn't go out for a drive in it.

The giant grand ballroom on the top floor of the building, above the trucks.
It is used for weekly dances, weddings and other community events. It can sit
300 people, with standing room for another 200.

Rodolfo and I in our "station gear". I wore my CFA
shirt which I then gave to him. He was very happy
at this gesture.

In return he gave me this commemorative flag, the 100 year anniversary of the
Tigre Bomberos, and a trophy which is given to all brigade members. I felt
very proud and honored to be given this.