Lieutenant details Brazilian mission in Venezuela: "It will be 30 days of work"
The Brazilian government confirmed the sending of a fourth humanitarian flight to Venezuela, in support of response operations to the earthquakes that hit the country. The mission includes military firefighters from the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, who departed from the Brazilian Air Force air base, in Guarulhos, and are expected to operate for up to 30 days in Venezuelan territory.
In an interview with CNN, Lieutenant Olívia, spokesperson for the São Paulo Fire Department, detailed how the operation worked. According to her, this second task force included 16 military firefighters from São Paulo, a soldier from the State Civil Defense of São Paulo and a contingent from Minas Gerais.
"Today, Sunday (28), we are currently at the Brazilian Air Force base, here in the city of Guarulhos", he stated.
Self-sustainable teams with mobile barracks
Brazilian teams travel with a completely self-sufficient structure. Olívia explained that professionals carry everything from personal protective equipment to all the necessary food.
"We are taking personal protective equipment for each firefighter, as well as all our food, all the equipment that we will use for rescue, such as mallets, grinders, plenty of saber saws", he detailed.
In addition, fuel for equipment, tents and accommodation was also shipped. "It's practically a barracks that we built here in São Paulo, put on the plane and are sending to Venezuela", he summarized.
Race against time in the search
Olívia explained that, as the hours pass since the beginning of the tragedy, the probability of finding survivors progressively decreases. Therefore, sending more professionals aims to expand coverage of the affected areas, which are divided into operational quadrants between the international and national teams present on site.
The spokesperson also highlighted the technique of searching for "pockets of life", spaces that form in the rubble of large buildings and where people can survive for days.
"If we find pockets, there is a very high possibility that there will be victims inside. If there are victims, we carry out immediate extraction and carry out APH, which is pre-hospital care, right there on the spot, before sending that person to the hospital", he explained.
Silence and communication in the rubble
Olívia also described the necessary precautions when accessing collapsed structures. According to her, the movement of firefighters or equipment could destabilize the wreckage, requiring extreme caution.
"We always look for four supports there, we go very close to the ground, very slowly, with great care when using the equipment", he stated. To locate survivors, professionals remain silent and use whistles and flashlights, instructing possible victims to emit any sound signal.
"Look, if you hear me, if you hear me, make any sound or knock three times. Sometimes the person can't even speak, but if they manage to knock on the structure, we pay attention to know: there is a person here", he described.
Forecast of 30 days of operation
According to Olívia, the first team sent left with a forecast of 15 days of operation, extendable for another 15. The second task force follows the same model. "For one month, we have full operational capacity to work in Venezuela uninterruptedly", he assured.
For volunteers who wish to help with operations, the guideline is to look for command posts on site. "Look for what we call command posts. There will definitely be some volunteer leadership that will be able to give you a mission that won't expose you to risk, but will also help the teams", he advised.
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Source: CNN