Minas sends the largest team of firefighters to Rio Grande do Sul to work on missions outside the state

Using an autonomous base, 28 soldiers participate in rescue actions in the region, hit by strong storms

The Minas Gerais Military Fire Department (CBMMG) sent the largest support team for special missions outside the state to Rio Grande do Sul. In total, 28 soldiers participated in the operation in the region, which was hit by strong storms, with cities completely flooded, rivers overflowing and dozens of deaths already recorded, in addition to the large number of homeless and displaced people.

The largest CBMMG mission previously sent outside the state was in 2019, with 25 soldiers from the corporation working in Mozambique. At that time, Cyclone Idai left hundreds dead in the country on the east coast of Africa and also in Zimbabwe and Malawi.

On the morning of last Friday (3/5), eight military personnel from CBMMG already began flying over and reconnaissance of the area in Porto Alegre, to assess the dimensions of the storms in the region. They arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on Thursday night (2/5) on the Arcanjo 11 plane, from the Minas Gerais State Department of Health (SES-MG) fleet.

Another five soldiers from the Minas Fire Department joined the team this Friday. They took off in the Arcanjo 06 helicopter, from Uberaba, in the Triângulo Mineiro, this Friday morning (3/5).

The third team should arrive in Rio Grande do Sul in the early hours of this Saturday (4/5). The 15 soldiers are heading to the location in three rescue vehicles, a truck that transports various materials and logistical equipment, as well as a vehicle suitable for driving two search dogs.

Standalone base

With the experience gained in other missions, CBMMG will use the autonomous operations base in the region to respond to disasters, a structure that meets United Nations (UN) standards.

The operations base, with several tents, has a self-sufficient logistical structure, such as a command post, cafeteria, warehouse, accommodation, decontamination areas, as well as bathing and personal hygiene facilities. It further accredits the corporation to participate in disaster operations outside the state or country.

The specialized Fire Commander, Colonel Moisés Magalhães de Souza, highlights that the Minas Gerais team will act without burdening local resources. “The structuring of the specialized service is essential to act in complex incidents like the one we are providing assistance to the people of Rio Grande do Sul. To achieve this, the team will have the structure of an Operations Base, which meets international criteria for humanitarian operations, established by the United Nations (UN)”.

A fire truck has modern equipment, used by international teams, such as props and pneumatic cushions, diving equipment, boats for moving in flooded areas, among other essential items for missions of this nature.

The commander of the Minas Gerais team operating in Rio Grande do Sul, Major Heitor Aguiar Mendonça, highlighted teamwork, but emphasized the great challenge that the military will have to face due to the extent of the affected area and the difficulty of accessing places with potential rescue of victims.

Integrated work

Cooperation between the State Department of Health and the Military Fire Department of Minas Gerais has been fundamental to successfully enable the operation and movement of human and logistical material.

According to the Secretary of State for Health of Minas Gerais, Fábio Baccheretti, the aircraft provided by SES-MG, in addition to taking the Military Fire Department team to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, will also be used to save more lives .

“The government of Minas Gerais immediately committed a plane and a helicopter to help with search and rescue in Rio Grande do Sul, in this rain disaster that is happening. This was only possible due to a historic investment that was made in our air fleet, linked to our State’s Samu and is a collaborative way between SES and Firefighters, to help at this important moment, for as long as necessary”, he highlighted.

Experience in major disasters

With experience in similar missions and technical specializations, inside and outside Brazil, the military from Minas Gerais are motivated by the same feeling of solidarity that they received when the dam broke in Brumadinho, when they had the support of almost all Military Fire Departments. from Brazil.

CBMMG has also provided technical assistance in events such as the fires in Amazonas, in Operation Verde Brasil, and in catastrophes that occurred in the states of Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco and Vale do Taquari/RS, in October last year.

On the international stage, the corporation participated in humanitarian actions, coordinated by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency in Mozambique, Haiti, Turkey, Canada and, more recently, in Guyana.

Certification

The Minas Fire Department has also worked to obtain international certification. According to Colonel Moisés, obtaining the title guarantees performance in accordance with international standards, validated by the UN.

“This therefore demonstrates that we have training capacity and logistical resources that give the team operational autonomy. In other words, these teams that are at disaster sites have all the necessary structure to not require support to the place that is already exhausted by the disaster itself”, he explains.