Attorney General's Office calls on mayors to properly constitute the fire department of its municipalities

The Attorney General's Office has made an emphatic call to local leaders, urging them to comply with the provisions of Act 322 of 1996, which established the National Fire Colombia, either through the establishment of official or fire departments through contracts for this purpose with volunteer fire departments.

Fire departments, as the only force tactics as the country home in the said Act 322 of 1996, must go and assist not only against fire-related disasters, but also with risks such as flood , rescue, avalanches, landslides, mass evacuations, recovery of bodies and pre-hospital care. Hence the importance of strengthened fire departments that can ensure adequate care of the population in emergency situations such as those generated in winter seasons.

Meet the emergency winter 2010 - 2012, the Fire Department assisted system in 100% of the events of avalanche, landslide 64%, 63% of the crashes, 75% of the blasts and 100% of the earthquakes, etc. However, despite the important social service they provide, only 568 municipalities have a duly constituted fire department, meaning that there are 533 municipalities that have no defense against emergencies such situations.

The territorial crisis of the system is exposed by confirming with the General Coordinator of the National Fire that so far in 2012, the fire has consumed in the country more than 9,700 hectares of forest, in 70 municipalities in 15 departments, of which 36 have no fire department.

The Attorney General's Office recalled that issued the Circular 072, 2008 and 003 2010, by which systems must comply with the provisions of the law and other related prevention and mitigation.