Elisa Vergera is a backpacker/language student visiting Toronto to take an intensive course to upgrade her English skills.
Back home in her native Chile, she is a full-time University Student and part-time Firefighter.
It seems that all Firefighters in Chile (or as they are called; Bomberos) are “Part Time Professionals“.
Confused?
Well, Chile is rather unusual because the government neither funds nor controls the Fire Services.
Bombero is the word for Firefighter in most spanish speaking countries. In Chile they are all volunteers. Their officers are elected; the organization is a true democracy.
They also must finance the acquistion, maintainence and operation of their buildings and equipment (including firetrucks).
Although they do not rely upon government allocations. The government does not finance specialization courses necessary for firefighters. Instead, they have to pay for it on their own. That is dedication.
Still, the Chilean Volunteers consitute the only professional group of Firefighters in the country. A major fire in an urban highrise is no place for amatures.
Elisa has joined the elite group of Chilean “Bomberos” and trains, works and fights fires side-by-side with her male counterparts.
In Toronto, Elisa dropped by the local fire station two blocks from the hostel doors. After seeing her Firefighter’s Badge, her Toronto “brothers” treated her to a V.I.P. tour, a ride in a Toronto Fire Truck and an in-house prepared dinner.
Firefighters constitue a worldwide “Brotherhood”; it was just a professional courtesy extended to a fellow firefighter.
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Elisa at the hostel.
Elisa at work in Santiago.
Elisa’s fellow Firefighters of The 19th Santiago Bombero Company battling the “enemy”.