Mexicali celebrated Día del Bombero on Saturday with a municipal announcement that firefighters will receive bonuses of up to 6,000 pesos. Norma Bustamante said the payment covers active firefighters, trust firefighters and, for the first time, retired firefighters.
"Por el día del bomberos a todos se les dan 6,000 pesos como para festejar el día del bombero, son 226 que son Bomberos activos, pero en esta ocasión también se les va a los Bomberos de confianza y por primero vez a los bomberos jubilados, antes los Bomberos jubilados, no los recibían," Bustamante said during the celebration. She said there are 226 active firefighters in Mexicali.
Norma Bustamante and Mexicali
The city also handed out recognitions and specialized equipment during the event. One day before the celebration, three firefighters from San Bernardino gave a training session in Mexicali, adding a practical layer to a ceremony built around public recognition and equipment support.
Ruben Dario Osuna said the department attends up to 8,000 services a year and that calls have risen by as much as 15 percent during this season. He said city growth has increased demand on the fire department and left it short by at least 150 additional personnel.
Ruben Dario Osuna
Osuna also said vehicle fires have climbed from 5-6 automobiles to 25-30 monthly fires. That change leaves Mexicali celebrating its firefighters and adding pay support at the same moment its department is describing heavier demand and a staffing gap that will keep pressure on daily response work.
For firefighters, the immediate change is the bonus itself: 6,000 pesos, with retirees included for the first time. For the city, the open question is how Mexicali will close the 150-personnel deficit while calls keep climbing.
