2023-11-22 15:55:39
A representation of Artemiseño heroes, of those who live on the edge of death, received the Second Class Medal of Valor, approved by the Council of State of the Republic, at the proposal of the Headquarters of the Cuban Fire Department, for their performance in the rescue of the victims of the collapse of a multi-family building in Havana last October.
Colonel Onel Estévez Matos, second provincial chief of the Minint, imposed the banner on the courageous ones, on the 327th anniversary of the Cuban Fire Department, and in the presence of Roberto Alejandro González, member of the provincial Directorate of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution.
After an emergency call, they went to the scene to contribute to the rescue efforts, with an additional regret: the disappearance of the combatant Luis Alejandro Llerena Martínez and the loss of first lieutenant Yoandra López Suárez, the only woman who carried out this mission in the country and It was formed precisely in the province.
José Armando Pérez Rodríguez, who has accumulated 30 years of service and is a specialist in the Provincial Headquarters of the Fire Department, remembers her as a very prepared colleague, owner of the necessary knowledge to execute each task.
“When we arrived at the scene of the accident, all the rescue technicians from the capital and a detachment from the province of Mayabeque had already been mobilized. “We worked together in three provinces during the early hours of the morning, until the rescue of the other deceased member of the specialty, and around 4 in the afternoon the next day we were able to access the remains of the old man, trapped in the rubble.”
Both José Armando and Major Dafri Miguel de la Fuente Pérez, chief of the San Antonio de los Baños fire command, also participated in the explosion of the Saratoga hotel and in the fire at the Matanzas supertanker base, the most complex moment of their careers.
José Armando (on the left) and Major Dafri Miguel de la Fuente Pérez, head of the San Antonio de los Baños fire department, also participated in the rescue actions after the explosion at the Saratoga Hotel / Photos: María C. Guindo
Pérez Rodríguez cannot help but shudder. He still seems to see the column of smoke in the distance. At that moment he turned towards the force and told them: “I think we are going towards death.” We had left to fulfill a task, with no guarantee of returning.
“Family, friends, neighbors, co-workers… were essential to keep us strong. There were days of more than 40 hours of work, the phones were discharged and we lost communication with everyone, but when we were able to reestablish it, our hearts were recharged, until we concluded such a painful mission, marked by the loss of valuable colleagues.”
The experience and training of our firefighters does not immunize them from permanent risk. But the gratitude of their people inspires them daily to put their skin on the line to save their lives.
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