The first group returned to the city this Saturday and, with humility, said they had done everything, “little things”, but very necessary for those affected.
09 November 2024 . Updated at 9.28pm
Him first group of 12 firefighters to go to Valencia to help in the emergency caused by the damage returned to A Grela park this Saturdayin the vans that picked up his replacement. They arrived tired after 11 hours of travel. They left there the numerous material they transported to collaborate in the emergency work. “We were from Galicia and we brought more personnel and material”, explained José Rama, who was the one who gave voice to a huge job for a week.
“We did everything from relatively small things, like saving an elevator, but it had water that could cause sanitary problems and it was in a building, up to the Poyo ravine, working with the military, who had the means to remove the vehicles, but not whoever came down to hook them up and they had only done an initial inspection of those above, but they were unable to do so of those below and “they needed qualified hands”Rama collapses. This firefighter recognized that they had to cut logs, hook up harnesses, but most of all “focus on smaller jobs, but for which the neighbors were very grateful”underlines.
«There was a problem, We have received no information from the forward command post who was the one who indicated the needs that the population had in each area, from clearing out, to cleaning the facades or cutting theThey worked in Catarroja, Albal and Paiporta. «There was one morning when we spent three hours without working and We decided to go and ask people what they needed. and it was such an amount of work that we had to call the Ourense fire station, the Vigo fire station and the civil protection to come to where we were because what they needed was brutal,” he says, explaining that “The population did not call 112 because it was a trivial matterbut they were very important to them. They also took care of forwarding requests to volunteers and Civil Protection staff. «There were many volunteers who didn’t even know what to do, it was all crazy», he underlines
«The neighborsor they called because they saw the magnitude of the disaster that they believed they would not send to anyone. For example, we went to Paiporta, portal by portal, door by door, asking what they needed and they asked us why they had areas with water to save or the case of a lady yesterday whose mud we removed from her house”, he recalls: «The water entered the woman from one side of the house and came out from the other, she was in shock, and her daughter was saved because she climbed up a two-metre wardrobe. water, she was lucky and it didn’t go away, but tore two partitions off the house and the city architect wouldn’t let them in until they emptied it and they could come in to assess it. We shored it up and secured it to remove the mud and things, and once we had everything removed we also put a new lock system. The woman managed to enter her house at night,” he says.
The firefighters of A Coruña this week, in which they did not sleep more than six hours, did “everything”, admits Rama, who comments, as a great advance, that on Saturday heavy machinery intervened to remove all the objects thrown into road as useless.
He admits that he has never seen anything similar to the Valencia disaster, but underlines that “we firefighters had set out with the expectation of carrying out rescue operations, which we saw on television, but When we got there, the reality was that what we did were little things, to
make people’s lives easier.» he admits modestly. He remembers how they had to dismantle the cars, because they were on top of each other; opening warehouses, cleaning or measuring gas in garages flooded with water, because the neighbors used motor pumps, which generate monoxide. “There were several drunk people,” he says. The first twelve firefighters who returned from Valencia did so together with their colleagues from the Santiago park, who also left to help the victims of one of the largest natural disasters in the history of Spain.
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Interview between Time.news Editor and José Rama, a Firefighter Who Recently Assisted in Valencia
Time.news Editor: Good evening, José. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. First, let me say, welcome back from Valencia. I hope you’ve had a chance to rest after that extensive journey.
José Rama: Thank you! Yes, it was quite the trip. We spent about 11 hours traveling back, and the experience was both exhausting and rewarding.
Editor: That’s understandable. You mentioned that your team of 12 firefighters initially left Galicia with essential personnel and equipment. Can you tell us more about the tasks you undertook while you were there?
José: Certainly. We arrived to a real emergency situation and immediately started addressing various needs. We tackled everything from relatively small tasks, like saving an elevator threatened by standing water, to larger operations, like working in the Poyo ravine to help with vehicles that were stuck. Often, we worked with the military, who had the equipment but needed our expertise to execute the operations safely.
Editor: It sounds like there was a significant need for focused help. You mentioned doing many smaller jobs that were crucial to the community. Can you elaborate on one of those experiences?
José: Absolutely. One morning, we found ourselves without clear instructions from the command post, which created a bit of confusion. Instead of waiting, we decided to go door-to-door in the affected neighborhoods—specifically in areas like Catarroja and Paiporta—to ask residents what they needed. The requests poured in; the work was far more than we could handle alone, leading us to call in additional firefighters and civil protection personnel.
Editor: That proactive approach must have been refreshing for the residents. Did you find that people were hesitant to call for help, thinking their issues were too trivial?
José: Very much so. Many residents didn’t call 112 for help, believing their problems weren’t severe enough to warrant a response. For example, one resident was in shock because water had flooded her home completely. She survived by climbing onto a wardrobe! It’s heart-wrenching to see people in those situations, but we assured them that their smaller issues were indeed significant to us.
Editor: It’s clear that your team created a human connection with the community in the midst of chaos. What feedback did you receive from the residents about your efforts?
José: They were overwhelmingly grateful. We received heartfelt thank-yous, and some people expressed a sense of relief that help had actually arrived. They saw us interacting and asking questions, which reassured them that their needs were valid and being taken seriously, no matter how small they may seem.
Editor: It truly speaks volumes about the resilience of communities during emergencies. Moving forward, what do you think could improve the response to such disasters in the future?
José: There’s definitely a need for better communication. A more organized command structure that clearly conveys the needs of the affected population would make a substantial difference. I believe having a designated point of contact in the community could streamline how resources are allocated and encourage more residents to reach out for assistance during crises.
Editor: Excellent points, José. Your firsthand insight into these operations is invaluable. As a final question, what do you take away from this experience personally?
José: Personally, it was a humbling experience. I saw both the best and worst of humanity, but ultimately, it was heartening to witness the willingness of people to help one another. I return home with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to my work, knowing how important our roles are in these times of need.
Editor: Thank you, José, for sharing your experiences and insights. It’s been an eye-opening conversation, and we appreciate your dedication and bravery in helping those affected by the disaster. Welcome back, and stay safe!
José: Thank you! I appreciate it.