Internal security

Firefighters in Chile are dealing with a fancy concern, and the completely different Fireplace Departments within the area aren’t exempt from it. That is Round Quantity 20 of the Funds Directorate, Ministry of Finance (DIPRES), which requires Firms, corresponding to Firefighters, to have a assure or insurance coverage coverage of 5% of the funds, along with making the accountability inside the identical funds 12 months to current a venture that straight advantages the neighborhood in instances of emergency.

This measure is detrimental to the Chilean Fireplace Division, for the reason that assets are generated door to door and there’s no 5% assure for every venture. As well as, it isn’t attainable to make the assertion within the funds 12 months, contemplating that the manufacture of a hearth truck takes a minimum of 360 days.

Within the area, firefighters have thanked the Regional Authorities for its assist in fixing this downside, calling on the authorities to treatment this inconvenience, which straight impacts, for instance, the Rancagua Fireplace Division within the renewal of a telescopic truck, six fireplace vehicles and the acquisition of a forestry truck, amongst different tasks. There are 71 billion pesos of the 2024 funds for the establishment which might be “frozen” on the regional stage as a result of the DIPRES has labeled all Firms and Foundations of personal legislation in the identical approach, this after the controversial “agreements case” which originated this variation in accountability however which severely impacts firefighters to be thought-about as only one extra basis. This has triggered regional governments all through Chile to be unable to ship the flows that have been beforehand delivered usually.

The President of the O’Higgins Regional Fireplace Council, Juan Luis Fabia, defined that the Fireplace Departments are personal legislation firms, similar to the Nationwide Fireplace Division Board, a technical unit that formulates and tenders the tasks financed by the regional governments, being the executive management physique, which permits the execution of the tasks so long as the regional governments finance them.

Fabia provides that the round was complemented by a sign within the funds legislation the place the restrictions of assets to the personal sector are established, which attracts their consideration deeply. The Fireplace Departments in Chile are personal legislation firms in addition to the Foundations, however the establishment will not be concerned in any unusual case, as some Foundations have been, which has resulted in a limitation of venture execution for the Fireplace Departments. “I’m very frank in telling you that the protection of the inhabitants is in danger immediately, since what the regional governments finance immediately is tools and tools for all of the municipalities of the nation, nevertheless, the acquisition of autos for the firefighters is probably the most just like what the State acquires for the Armed Forces. All our tools is acquired by way of worldwide purchases and tenders since no firm in Chile manufactures firefighting autos with the rules that this requires,” mentioned Juan Luis Fabia.

He added that for the reason that tools is imported, a venture these days takes greater than a 12 months to be executed. The development of a hearth truck takes about two years, so the rules of Round Quantity 20 and Article 25 of the Funds Legislation set up that tasks or transfers of assets to the personal sector have to be executed inside the funds 12 months, that’s, inside one 12 months.

He pressured that no firefighting venture will be executed inside the identical 12 months and indicated that this regulation prohibits Fireplace Departments from persevering with to accumulate tools. “The issue is that in 5 years, autos which might be 25 years previous is not going to have spare elements and the Corporations will probably be left with out the capability to function and management emergencies in the neighborhood, that’s what has us nervous and tied hand and foot,” mentioned Fabia, who added that Fireplace Departments are a part of the inner safety of the State, however at current they are going to be prevented from with the ability to present safety to the inhabitants in a well timed and acceptable method, on condition that the renewal of apparatus is cancelled because of this regulation.

FROZEN PROJECTS

On the regional stage, all of the Corps are affected, nevertheless, Fabia highlighted that there’s a venture for 18 forest fireplace vehicles, for communes with a better incidence of fires, which is presently stopped as a result of rules, in addition to different tasks.

For the Superintendent of the Rancagua Fireplace Division, Raúl Montecinos, the present state of affairs has affected them significantly, since there are fireplace vehicles that must be renovated, one of many emblematic tasks being the renovation of a telescopic truck, which started in 2019 and has not been carried out. Market values ​​have triggered this venture to greater than double, so a reformulation have to be requested.

He provides that the round demanding a 5 p.c bond and the identical funds 12 months impacts them as a result of the town of Rancagua is rising vertically, so they should change a telescopic truck, considering that the one they presently have is greater than 30 years previous and has mechanical and hydraulic issues with the ladder. “At any second this ladder will probably be out of service and it’ll imply that, within the case of a large-scale emergency that requires a telescopic truck, we must request assist from Santiago with a response time of a minimum of one hour or one and a half hours of arrival,” pressured Raúl Montecinos, superintendent of the Rancagua Fireplace Division, who added that there are additionally 5 fireplace vehicles that must be changed, which have offered mechanical issues. This has triggered them to spend 70 p.c of the funds for the 12 months to this point.

SITUATION AFFECTS THE ENTIRE REGION

For Juan Carlos Salas, Superintendent of the Graneros Fireplace Division, regional budgets are extraordinarily essential for firefighters and thus renew main and minor materials. He provides that the good downside they face is that the Fireplace Departments of Chile, being autonomous Firms, aren’t the identical as a Basis, having a really outlined, clear and concrete objective and public utility. “Sadly, the Authorities used a authorized criterion to equalize us all and to render the funds which might be public in a calendar 12 months, and for us that’s not possible, particularly within the processes of main materials,” mentioned Salas.

He maintains that fireplace vehicles have a helpful lifetime of 20 years and, presently, there are lots of Fireplace Departments which have older tools that exceeds that age, so this round prevents the renewal course of from persevering with, which he assures is extraordinarily harmful as there isn’t any strategy to get well them within the occasion of a serious mechanical failure.

For his half, Carlos Aránguiz Guevara, Superintendent of the Codegua Fireplace Division and Vice President of the O’Higgins Regional Council, mentioned that the area has been characterised on the nationwide stage for being one of the superior by way of renewing fireplace vehicles and different kinds of tasks, at all times supported by the Regional Authorities. With this round, he indicated that if a Division should renew a truck, it should now have about 100 million pesos, which it clearly doesn’t have.

This has triggered them to be caught in approving tasks and, within the case of Codegua, they haven’t been capable of obtain reducing tools and lifting cushions, all caught by Round Quantity 20. “Bomberos de Chile has by no means had issues with the submission of tasks for main materials and sadly we’re being handled on this approach, as a result of well-known foundations that appeared initially of the 12 months.”

For the Superintendent of the Doñihue Fireplace Division, Patricio Soto, many of the area’s tasks have been paralyzed, highlighting that they have been engaged on the alternative of a forestry truck for the commune, which can be paralyzed. He provides that the present state of affairs is just a matter of political will, for the reason that establishment was harmed by the “foundations” case, considering that they’ve by no means had a poorly executed venture.

He requires political will to resolve the difficulty, since these are tasks for the neighborhood and to have the ability to serve it higher, with all of the Corps within the area being affected, with the smallest ones being doubly affected by not having the capability to be autonomous, along with the truth that they presently have autos which might be 30 years previous in operation.