Madrid City Hall recognized the commitment and dedication of municipal firefighters with more than 40 years of experience in the Corps during an event chaired by the mayor of the city, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, during which the dedication to the Madrid residents of these officials by paying tribute to around twenty of them – including six still active – representing the most experienced firefighters.
Almeida, accompanied by the vice mayor and delegate for Security and Emergencies, Inma Sanz, the Retiro councilor, Andrea Levy, the commanders of the Corps (like his own boss, Rafael Ferrándiz, one of the recognized) and close to the people honored, He stressed that these experienced firefighters “have been alongside the people of Madrid in their most difficult times, with a vocation of service always at the disposal of the city.”
“The Madrid firefighters are always there when you need them, they have been in the fight against Covid and during the confinement, during Filomena, when without you it would have been impossible to remember normality, and in recent weeks too in Valencia helping to mitigate the consequences of DANA’s disastrous actions,” added the mayor.
They have also been there in recent decades, after so many terrorist attacks that hit the capital (the numerous ETA attacks, 11-M), fires engraved in the memory of Madrid residents (like those of Alcalá 20, Almacenes Arias, Palacio de los Deportes or Windsor), or explosions and collapses (like those on Factor and Gaztambide streets or the most recent ones on Martínez streets Campos, Toledo and General Pardiñas), among many other interventions during these decades.
“Everyone who is being recognized today has been part of these 40 years and has been, on several occasions, the first responders to these accidents,” the mayor added.
One of the services most appreciated by Madrid residents
It is for all these reasons that the municipal firefighters of the capital are still one of the services most appreciated by Madrid residents, in fact currently it is the most appreciated, according to the latest Quality of Life and Customer Satisfaction Survey. Public Services of the City of Madrid, recalled the first mayor.
“We are aware that in the face of any crisis you have always been there, at our side, and always to give a life in front of the people of Madrid to try to save us all from Madrid. And all of us, mayors who have had to face difficult situations, know that it is easier to face this type of situations and crises with your support”, added the mayor, who also announced that the statue would soon return to the Plaza del Carmen to the firefighters who died in the Arias warehouse fire.
For all these reasons, he reiterated the commitment of the municipal government he leads to “continue to provide the emergency services with the best human and material resources, an “essential” task so that they can continue to develop their work “in the best possible way”. path.” And to increase the number of troops “as much as possible”. “Every day we have to intervene in such a big city. Infinite thanks for everything you have done and what you are doing. Madrid cannot be understood without you. There are forty years of performance and knowing that we have the best fire service in the world gives us great peace of mind,” he concluded.
