Empty yards in the 2nd Firefighters Battalion, in Contagem, show the strong movement of the combatants: corporation demands awareness of the population (photo: Gladyston Rodrigues / EM / DA Press)
In any war, all troops need weapons. And guns need people to shoot. In the battles that Minas Gerais faces against fire year after year in the different ones. TO Burned They are increasing unchecked, and even with material support, the number of soldiers does not follow this math. The state has a deficit of approximately 2,500 military personnel in the ranks of the Fire brigade. The result of this dramatic scenario: warrior overload in the field.
However, there is slight hope when ash falls on fire-ravaged vegetation. In the next month, 500 people passed in competition begin training to work in the Fire Department.
Another 248, who went through all the stages but were not called due to the limited number of vacancies that were imposed at the event, are struggling to enter the corporation and share the weight of the intense heat with those already in the field.
Remember that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an entity that groups together firefighters in the United States, recommends 0.5 to 2.7 officers per thousand inhabitants. In Minas Gerais, the number is equivalent to 0.26 firefighters per thousand inhabitants, since the population is around 20.87 million, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
Fire in Serra do Cip. The line of fire in Lapinha da Serra reaches 2 kilometers in length and needs volunteer brigade members to help in the combat (photo: Leandro Couri / EM / DA Press)
“Serra do Curral, Piedade, Moeda, Cip. All is on fire and we don’t have enough staff. And the firefighter is the same for fire, rescue, accident victim, flood, burial. The fire will go out and soon the rain will begin ”, warns the soldier.
In the next month, the corporation should start the Soldier Training Course (CFSd / 2020) with 500 approved in the 2019 contest. The delay was due to the new coronavirus pandemic. “The structure of the Firefighters Academy trains up to 1,500 (officers) if necessary. The question is that the government defines that it wants to invest in a culture of prevention ”.
Heder believes that, in addition to the exhaustion of the military, the population is the most affected by the shortage of personnel. “By necessity, if the firefighters had 20 thousand professionals, the combat would be more effective. This means a better service to society. The state of Minas Gerais is missing ”, he says.
The speech reinforces the account of the State of Minas published in yesterday’s issue on the subject, which shows that neighbors have complained about the delay in service.
Of the total staff of the corporation, the latest figures released by Aspra, in July this year, show that there are 492 military personnel on permanent leave and another 35 who are part of the possible immediate evasion.
This means that 527 already have time to be transferred to the reservation, but choose to remain in the institution. Meanwhile, they continue to work receiving an additional 30% of salary.
Overload
THE IN He spoke with a military man who has worked for the corporation for 21 years and prefers not to identify himself. For him, these numbers represent an overload, both physical and emotional.
“We have to work on fighting fires. On the way back, you must take a sentry. Suicide rescue, car accident. Then I work specialized in dangerous products. The troops are exhausted and yet we are not shirking any responsibility. Even with the sacrifice of life itselfThat’s the motto, because the military lives with love for the institution ”, he declares.
The firefighter believes that the arrival of new colleagues can bring relief to the fight against forest fires, which, for him, are among the most difficult events to face, due to the heat and difficult access to relief.
“It is a very stressful service and we are working with reduced staff. It is noted that the population had an increase and the institutional aspect decreased the cash. Our population is totally disproportionate, ”he says.
Combatants often use the motto “in fire much stronger than forging good”. in that same fire, however, that physical exhaustion can plague the ferocious. The lack of companions in uniform to share the daily sweat makes the spirit of self-denial and dedication, typical of every military firefighter, insufficient for excellence in combat.
“The service is not inappropriate, we do our best, but sometimes it can be late. Not because of a lack of commitment to work, but because of the exorbitant lack of manpower, “says the military man.
On the other hand
“Obviously, it is very difficult to have a staff that can cope with this. What we do is an appropriate gesture, ”says the corporation’s spokesman, Lieutenant Pedro Aihara. “Today we have a very effective gesture. In the case of fires in preservation parks, for example, we have the help of the brigades. But the main problem is the position of the population. a cultural issue. Not even if we add a million firefighters we can handle it ”, he says.
For Lieutenant Leonan Soares Pereira, who heads the first line of several fires in the state, the number is enough, but the weather conditions they are not helping.
“There are times when it doesn’t work, the fire is so strong that it doesn’t work. Simply increasing the staff will not be enough. What good is it? “, Question. “Don’t set it on fire. Otherwise, even with more firefighters, there comes a point where the best technology won’t solve it. The big question is to avoid it ”, he responds quickly.
Fight to join the team
Ana and Heyllon: hope to fulfill the dream of joining the corporation (photo: Edsio Ferreira / EM / DA Press)
Approved in the selection process for the Fire Department, but outside the corporation due to limited places for immediate calls, 248 surplus candidates struggle to enter the corporation, through a commission created for that purpose. On October 6, the final result of the contest was published. As of that date, the term of validity is 30 days, extendable to another month. According to the notice, these carry-overs can only be called up during this period. Otherwise, they lose the entire selection process and there is still no forecast for other competitions.
“These men and women can have an immediate impact on the staff of the corporation,” says the commission’s text. “Carrying out a new public tender of this nature takes a long time, with an average time of one year between the objective test and the start of the training course, which still takes eight months to complete, training a military man capable of exercising firefighter role ”, Defend the group.
Candidates for the position were evaluated in several phases in addition to the objective test, such as physical, swimming and medical, psychological and toxicological tests. “There was a lot of investment on their part and dedication to be within the standard expected by the corporation,” says the group’s spokesperson, Ana Paula Galvo. More important than that, walk the dream career. At 23, the student is in the 4th period of law. Trying to be a firefighter is a goal commensurate with your life purpose. “What they do attracts me. I really hope to be summoned to be able to contribute to society ”, she says.
Ana Galvo says that she feels distressed to see the work of the heroes of fire from afar. “We always follow the social networks of the firefighters, we imagine ourselves in the situation. It becomes part of your life, ”he reveals. “I think that at this moment what these 248 people want the most to be able to help,” adds the young woman.
One of the limitations of the group is age, since in order to enroll in the course it is necessary to be under 30 years old until the day of enrollment. Therefore, re-tendering may not be possible for many of these surpluses. The case of Heyllon Rodrigues Matias Barbosa, 29, who has tried to get through since 2008. “The last chance I have to enter. Being a firefighter has always been a dream, ”says the boy. “A very long contest. There is no way to get a military man off the shelf. It is very distressing to be left out because the person who faces the whole process wants to come in to make a difference ”, he concludes.
