6th Annual Sinaloa Fire Training Symposium

Seven FFCB instructors are headed home to the chilly Pacific Northwest after a busy week in the State of Sinaloa. The 6th Annual Sinaloa Fire Training Symposium included vehicle extrication, rope rescue, aerial and ground ladders, and fire engine mechanic skills. One last instructor still working away fixing fire engines and more, all will fly north today.

This three day school held each year since 2008 in Culiacan, the capital city of Sinaloa is hosted by Bomberos Culiacan and Bomberos Amigos, a non-profit group developed to support fire departments throughout the state.

Instructors this year brought much equipment with them ranging from personal protection (glasses, lights, gloves) to extrication and rope rescue gear, and even mechanics tools.

Some of the crew jumped aboard fire engines between (and during) classes to observe and at times work side by side local firefighters responding to fires and accidents. The third day of the symposium saw a serious house fire with 3 family members rescued by local firefighters and taken to hospital in critical condition. Three firefighters suffered smoke inhalation and were treated and released.

Finally, to top off the trip – importation papers were approved this week for the major FFCB shipment of gear for Sinaloa fire departments. A semi truck load of equipment (22 pallets) has been detained at the border in Nogales since November and will shortly be moved south to Culiacan. This gear will be the first to stock the newly developed equipment warehouse at Culiacan Fire Department (Bomberos Culiacan) which will then equip departments throughout the state.

Equipment and supplies in this shipment came from agencies throughout the Puget Sound region and beyond, including at least 400 sets of turnout gear came from Seattle Fire Department.

During the course of the year, FFCB is active assisting Bomberos Culiacan and Bomberos Amigos with procuring vehicles and equipment from the USA.