Cont. from front page,


Fighting for the fire department

At last, on September 11, 1983, with the support of the Salamanca Fire Department, and thanks to a fundraising campaign that collected more than one million pesos, a group of volunteers organized themselves as the San Miguel Volunteer Fire Department, headed by a board formed by Samuel Mercadillo, Jesús Mercadillo, Conchita Mercadillo, Roberto Pérez Manzano, Rolando Carbajo, Ignacio Barajas, Javier Gutiérrez and Colonel Phil Maher, who was the US consul in San Miguel. The first president of the fire department board was Antonio Gutiérrez Villegas. They established their headquarters in the Grúas Mercadillo Garage on the Salida a Celaya. 

A later mayor, Luis Ferro de la Sota, donated a chassis with which the Salamanca Fire Department constructed the first fire truck for San Miguel. At the beginning they worked only with this improvised truck, two vans that served as ambulances and an old fire hose.

On April 3, 1985, the city of La Habra, California—a sister city of San Miguel—donated three tons of firefighting equipment to the San Miguel Fire Department. 

Training of the volunteers began in Salamanca and continued in San Luis Potosí, Querétaro and Mexico City. In 1984, thanks to the support of Colonel Maher, an agreement was struck with US cities such as La Habra; Santa Fe Springs, California; and South Tucson, Arizona. In this “Bombero” program, 15 volunteers were sent for training to these American cities; the following year the American firefighters came to San Miguel to train them. 

In 1988, thanks to management by the board and the support of Mayor Ferro de la Sota, the local government donated one hectare of land on the Salida a Querétaro to the bomberos for a fire station. “The station was built with resources from the federal and state governments and from the board itself,” said Jesús Mercadillo, a firefighter and current head of the Transit Department. “

The new station was built in 1990, but the mayor at that time, Manuel Zavala Ramírez, thought that the new building was appropriate for government offices and decided to use it for that purpose, refusing to hand it over to the firefighters.”

“We asked the state congress for help, and they suggested we take over the building,” said Juan Antonio Pérez Solís, a volunteer firefighter for 18 years whose father, Roberto Pérez Manzano, was a founder of the San Miguel Fire Department. “At noon on August 13, 1990, we took over the new station, which was guarded by a police officer. We made a hole in the door and one of us, Luis Gerardo Gutiérrez, got inside.” The building was taken peacefully, but there was fear of retribution by Mayor Zavala Ramírez. Firefighters noted that “after years of working in lent buildings, with deteriorating equipment that had to be stored outside, it is illogical that the local government is trying to strip us of the building that belongs to us by government decree, and Manuel Zavala Ramírez doesn’t seem to realize that we have all the required documents.”

At last, that same year the new fire station was formally inaugurated by the governor of Guanajuato, Rafael Corrales Ayala. “A year after the station was taken over by the firefighters, the national lottery donated a fire truck, which is named “13 de Agosto” to commemorate the event,” said Mercadillo.

In 1993, the city council recognized the San Miguel Fire Department as “the honored, historic and heroic fire department.”


Training to be a firefighter

According to Pérez Solís, who is vice-president of the board of the San Miguel fire department, the first step to becoming a firefighter is to take an eight-hour course on radio communications, which includes the use and operation of the computer system and emergency telephones and emergency procedures. 

“The next step is to take an eight-month course at the Gene Mahoney Academy,” said Pérez Solís. “The courses are held on Saturdays and Sundays and include subjects such as medical emergency, fire science (physics, chemistry and mathematics) and physical conditioning.” After passing the course, the volunteers are on probation for a year and work under the supervision of professional firefighters. Pérez Solis said that there are currently eight employees who earn a salary in the fire department.

Anyone can join the fire department. “The only condition is that candidates must either be studying or working. Even children—boys and girls—can enter the academy. I myself entered the department when I was 13. We also have some handicapped volunteers who work according to their abilities in jobs that are not life-threatening,” said Pérez Solís.



Bomberos and the brigade

The firefighters don fire- and chemical-retardant canvas suits, metal-soled boots and respirators to combat blazes. The air in the portable respirators, said Pérez, lasts about 20 minutes if the firefighter is in good shape and regulates his breathing. He pointed out that the labor is especially stressful because, unlike athletes who are able to warm up before competing, firefighters are often roused from sleep and must immediately perform hard physical work. 

Pérez Solís explained that there are three ranks in the fire department. “The highest rank is the commandant, who is the chief of the station. The current commandant is José Antonio Rayas. Then come the captains, who are in charge of each shift, either an eight-hour shift during the day or a 12-hour shift at night. The captain is responsible for what happens inside and outside the station during his shift. The third rank is the firefighter.

In addition to fighting fires, the department also respond to gas leaks, incidents involving dangerous materials, floods, collapses, car or train accidents, all kind of rescues, ambulance services, controlling wild bees, catching snakes and “rescuing little kittens from trees.”

“We have a special truck equipped for rescue that was donated by the Mario Moreno “Catinflas” Association, which has a likeness of Catinflas painted on it,” said Pérez. 

Currently, the fire department is supported by donations, funding from the board and a small fund from the local government used for salaries and general expenses. 



An historical fire in San Miguel

One of the most memorable fires in San Miguel history broke out on February 4, 1991, when the former Presidencia building ignited. On February 15, 1991, Atención reported that “The Hell broke loose at the city jail (then at the Presidencia) when the trash truck went by on February 4. Taking advantage of the fact that one of the double set of gates was open to take out the trash, several convicts made a break for it. In the ensuing melee a gas tank opened and the resulting explosion caused havoc, injuries and millions of pesos damage to the Presidencia.” It took the fire department four hours to contain the blaze. 

Captain Pérez Solís recalled that after the fire was controlled he and other firefighters were clearing the rubble. He was carrying a metal barrel that was thought to be empty but was heavier than usual. “When we opened the barrel we found the body of a prisoner, Manuel Buenrostro Vázquez, who had hidden inside the barrel looking for the right moment to escape. Unfortunately, he died of asphyxiation.” 

More recently, in April 2006 a large fire broke out in the former Gigante store in Plaza Real del Conde. 

For Captain Pérez, a firefighter’s job is similar to that of a priest. “On several occasions, people have died in our arms when we are rescuing them. We are the last people with whom they talk. On one occasion, a man I rescued from a car accident asked me before he died to look after his children. This is very touching.” 



Current equipment of the San Miguel Fire Department

2 ambulances

3 fire trucks for routine fires

3 fire trucks for major fires

1 truck for forest fires

1 rescue unit

1 fire hose

4 cars






Restaurantuers unite for Telethon
By Maru Riba

Fundraising Event Benefit for Teleton by San Miguel Association of Restaurants Sat, Nov 10, 12pm El Jardín 150 pesos

During the past 10 years Fundación Teleton (Telethon Foundation) has united Mexico’s largest enterprises and most well known performers to generate funding and donations for the nation’s handicapped and disabled children. The finances have been channeled into the construction of Centro Rehabilitacion Infantil Teleton (Teleton Infant Rehabilitation Centers) known as CRIT around the country. Recently, the San Miguel branch of the National Association of Restaurants (CANIRAC) signed an agreement with the Telethon Foundation to host a gastronomic event to benefit the CRIT in Irapuato. The institution staffed by numerous health practitioners and more than 150 volunteers provides a variety of therapies to more than three thousand local disabled children. 

This is the first time in Mexico that restaurants and the Telethon Foundation have joined together for such fundraising. This unique fundraising event includes the best gastronomic samples from the city’s finest restaurants, wine and live music.

In 1997, Televisa, Mexico’s first and largest television network, and Banamex started the first annual Telethon, a 27-hour fundraising marathon. Over the years the largest national enterprises, mass media, artists and individuals have joined the cause raising funds for Mexico’s disabled children. The Foundation has now built nine rehabilitation centers around the country and has two more scheduled to open early 2008.

Raising financial resources is not the only goal of Telethon—to promote a culture of integration and participation is the other main objective. Telethon represents love, integration and respect of life and human dignity. One of the most important examples of solidarity and generosity is the significant percentage of all the donations given by children and low-income earners.

Your donation of 150 pesos supports services by CRIT Irapuato and the purchase of wheelchairs and other equipment for the disabled children. During the weekend uniformed collectors will be stationed around the city collecting donations and more than 20 participating restaurants will have donation cans in their establishments until December 4. Telethon and the restaurants of San Miguel know that hope moves hearts and that work turns dreams into realities. Please join us for this event—we need your help in this noble cause.

Maru Riba is president of the San Miguel Restaurants Association (CANIRAC).