Between theoretical physics classes and training in bodies of water and high-rise buildings, a delegation of 25 Mexican firefighters experienced a week of transformative learning in North Carolina.
The rescuers, from regions such as Nuevo León, Chihuahua and Coahuila, participated in intensive emergency training given by instructors from the Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) Fire Academy.
This initiative marks the second year of collaboration between Mexican firefighters from the Mayday Program and instructors from the GTCC.
What is Mexico's Mayday Program?
The Mayday Program of Mexico is an organization that coordinates professional development opportunities for firefighters throughout the country.
“The Mayday program in Mexico was created exclusively for firefighters,” said Jonathan López, the program's representative in Mexico. Enlace Latino NC.
“The goal is to further professionalize firefighters in Mexico. We have two dates when we can come to North Carolina to get certified. Once we get certified, we return to Mexico and share all the information with the other firefighters to reach a higher level of professionalism a little faster,” López added.
Throughout the year, they offer firefighters free and ongoing training in Mexico. They also organize biannual certification trips to community colleges in North Carolina to raise the technical level of Mexican rescue teams.
A focus on hydration systems
During the week, the firefighters alternated between theoretical and practical lessons focused on operating water pumps. The training emphasized techniques for transporting large volumes of water over long distances from natural sources.
This curriculum was designed to address the infrastructure challenges faced by firefighters in Mexico, particularly the lack of hydrant systems in many regions.
“They explained to us that in Mexico there are sometimes conditions where there are no hydrant systems, so they have to adapt to moving water in a rural way,” explained Luis Alfonso Olvera, instructor at GTCC, to Enlace Latino NC.
“Here in North Carolina we have areas where there is a lot of runoff, so we have experience in how to move large volumes of water and we created this program for them,” Olvera added.
The journey to get to North Carolina
To attend this initiative, 23 members of the delegation traveled for about 30 hours on the road.
According to López, the 30-hour journey is worth it. The hospitality of the residents and the technical skill of the local firefighters and their training more than compensate for the long trip.
“The level of the people in North Carolina, how they welcome us, makes us feel at home. So, it's worth traveling 30 hours to be in a city where the culture and the technical level of the firefighters are top-notch. That's why we like North Carolina, because of its people, how they treat us, and technically, how they teach us,” said López.
For instructors like Olvera, the level of commitment of the firefighters is admirable.
“They drive 36 hours to get here; that’s impressive to learn in just one week. Many of them pay their own way. The fact that they pay attention and come so far to learn is incredible to me,” Olvera commented.
The story of Latinos paving the way in North Carolina's fire departments is also present in “A Firefighter’s Life,” an episode that tells the story of Juan Pablo Soto, a Guatemalan immigrant and the first Latino battalion chief of the Charlotte Fire Department.
“To multiply what we learned”: The rescuers’ oath
Beyond technical rigor, the program has built a cultural bridge.
López explained that one of the program's oaths is that firefighters must multiply what they learn by 10.
Therefore, the impact of the training will begin once the delegation returns to their communities in Mexico.
There, the rescuers will fulfill the program's central commitment: to multiply and share the techniques they have learned.
“All the information they take here can be returned to Mexico and they can start creating a new firefighter culture,” Olvera said.
“The Mexican firefighter, with American ideas,” he noted.
I visited the Mayday Mexico Program Facebook page to learn more about their activities
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