Firefighters
I knock on our sister city of Juarez, Mexico. But to be clear, it's not the city I want to knock but the criminal, and to much extent the political, elements that have run the city, and the country, into the ground. I wish I could see the Juarez of my Mom, culturally vibrant and economicaly viable. The days of fear are here for the foreseeable future. One bright spot that has remained has been, for me, the FD, the Cuerpo de Bomberos (the Firefighter Corps). These hard workers are second to none in my eyes (for those FD out there, they have frequently placed in the American Firefighter Challenge competition, without the aid of our technology or training facilities, not to mention our paychecks). They train in unorthodox manners, more blue collar than any of our professional FD are used to. They also are next to volunteer in their pay grade and frequently moonlight as nurses and ambulance workers. They are one of the few, if not only, government workers that are considered to be bribe proof, despite their lack of pay. Add to that recipe the fact that the local drug dealers have threatened their lives if they save a target or property, and you have some unusual and stressful work conditions to a job that is already stressful.
Taken during the 16 de Septiembre parade in Cd. Juarez.
pic 5 of a series.
In the 16 de Septiembre Parade in Juarez photo essay.
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