The group appointed by the National Government in support of the forest fire mitigation emergency in Chile is back in Colombia. This group was led by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management- UNGRD and composed of a crew of the Casa-295 aircraft of the Military Air Transport Command of the Colombian Air Force, 20 men of the Cali-Valle del Cauca Fire Department, a Red Cross volunteer, 05 of the Special Operations Unit in Emergencies and Disasters of the National Police and a member of the UNGRD.
This group stayed in the Chilean sister country for 8 days, carrying out firefighting support missions in the municipality of Longaví in the province of Linares and Río Blanco, in protection of natural parks with forest extensions of more than 1,400 hectares. In the same way, through the C-295 aircraft, it carried out the transport support of fire personnel and equipment to La Chaitén and Araucanía.
“It has been a successful mission, for our team it is a priority to provide support to neighboring countries that leads us to work for learning and experience, being an efficient and effective support for Latin American states such as the Chilean state. This operation is an example of the teamwork of the Disaster Risk Management System, which has the ability to react in real time in Colombia and abroad. This mission would not have been possible without the support of the Colombian Air Force, which is always ready to provide support to disaster response needs,” said Monica Arias Fernandez- Deputy Director for Disaster Management UNGRD.
“This mission is very important for the Colombian Air Force, as it demonstrates the global reach of its crews and aircraft, not only to provide emergency support at the national level but in the same way, as we did in this case, to provide support to a sister country,” added Lieutenant Colonel Juan Carlos Pérez Guzmán, Head of the National Personnel Recovery Center.
The Air Combat Command No.7 received the delegation of firefighters from Cali at the Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport and then the C-295 aircraft completed its mission at the ramp of the Military Transport Air Command- CATAM.
This support mission from Colombia to Chile was led by the UNGRD, in coordination with the National Center for Personnel Recovery and the Colombian Air Force, in response to the request for international assistance made by Chile in the face of the forest fire emergency.
Source: Press – Colombian Air Force
