There are about 290 officials and more than 61 thousand volunteers, who make up the Colombian Civil Defense. Thousands of men and women with the will in their hearts and willing to help others.
The Colombian Civil Defense is in all 32 departments of the country.
The Minister of National Defense, Diego Molano Aponte, accompanied the President of the Republic, Iván Duque Márquez, to the commemoration of the Anniversary No.55 of the Colombian Civil Defense, an institution attached to the Defense sector for 51 years.
In his speech, Molano affirmed that in his time as Minister of Defense he has had the greatest of honors, working with the Military Forces and with the non-armed Force, such as the Colombian Civil Defense.
“When there is an emergency or catastrophe, Colombians have a policeman, a soldier and, also a volunteer of the Colombian Civil Defense. Today we are proud to have in the Colombian Civil Defense the largest social and humanitarian institution in the country! ” said the Minister.
In the framework of the ceremony, and accompanied by the military and police high command, the Defense minister said that volunteers do not expect to receive a monetary retribution in return, because they value more a thank you, a smile, a life saved.
“They are thousands of volunteers who, in difficult moments of the homeland, leave their daily jobs, and risk even their lives to help others. They are peasants, shopkeepers, social leaders. They are in the same way high school graduates, professionals, masters and even doctors.”
The head of the Defense informed that this institution, which is part of the Social and Business Group of the Defense, have received resources of about $ 48,900 million COP from the Emergency Mitigation Fund, which is complemented by an internal investment of the institution of $ 17 000 million COP.
“The modernization of its infrastructure, its mobility, its procedures and equipment is unprecedented in the history of this institution. Today, in front of everyone, we have a sample of that,” Molano said.
The Colombian Civil Defense has a Process Control Command Checkpoint, to integrate public and private institutions, and have a coordinated work, in addition to four Rapid Response Units in Support of Health or Accommodation, where even field hospitals are adapted.
Within the framework of the 55th anniversary of the Civil Defense, 10 officials and volunteers were awarded the Ministry of Defense Military Medal in the Distinguished Services category; 5 were awarded the medal of Civic Merit in the Silver category, and 63 were awarded in the Bronze category. In addition, 69 others received a distinction for their support to Honduras and the Archipelago after the transit of Hurricane IOTA.
Source: Defense Sector Communications Office - Ministry of National Defense
