How Granada's fire brigade has reassured the city's residents during the earthquakes

He is one of the many firefighters in the city who, over the past few weeks, have put their personal lives on hold to respond to the emergencies caused by the series of earthquakes. They stepped up their efforts in the early hours of 15 August, when the first earthquake struck. Even more so on the morning of Tuesday 18th. Since then, dozens of volunteers have been checking every roof and every crack in the city.

“They thanked us simply for being there, for keeping an eye on their homes,” Nico says. The firefighters have been constantly advising people on how to protect themselves during an earthquake and what not to do during one. “Most people just needed to be told that their building wasn’t going to collapse, that they were safe,” he adds.

The response to fear has been their own calm. The calm that Alberto offered to the mother who sought refuge with her daughter at the fire station because of the tremors; the comfort Carlos offered to a young woman suffering an anxiety attack because she was alone in the city and the compassion shown by Luis, who, from hundreds of kilometres away, witnessed how people in his country had been buried under the rubble by further earthquakes.

“They begged us, in desperation, to go and check their cracks. They took us by the arm and led us there,” they recall. With every step they took through the Zaidín neighbourhood, there was someone waiting for them. Alongside them, those affected breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the damage had only been superficial, that they were safe.

Víctor, Carlos, Alberto, Nico, Alejandro, Luis, Fran… have stood by those who had to leave their homes due to some danger, and those fleeing a home that had been shored up. “It’s not easy to tell someone who’s been washing the same clothes for three days because they can’t get into their home and they’ve ended up on the streets,” they explain. There, they offered them comfort and a shoulder to lean on. A hug that sought to ease the uncertainty of not knowing when they would be able to return. “They asked us if there were going to be more [earthquakes]. We looked at each other and didn’t know what to say to them,” the firefighters explain.

They fought their way through the chaos to reach the top priority emergency: the people who had been trapped in lifts or in damaged buildings. “That was one of the most difficult tasks,” they explain.

The earthquakes cracked the city’s buildings, but also the walls of Parque Sur. "We heard the roar and turned pale," they say. Many firefighters began to report that they were joining the operation when the first earthquake on Tuesday shook the city. Some contacted their families while getting ready to set off. Others were already on their way to a call-out.

“We couldn’t afford to go home to look after them because we had to focus on the emergency,” they say. They left their children behind to go out onto the streets and look after strangers. They allayed their loved ones’ fears as best they could, with messages and phone calls. From a distance. Manuel left his wife and children on holiday and returned to Granada; Víctor cancelled a trip; Carlos returned from his home village where his family are still waiting for him. “It’s a commitment, something that’s part of one’s calling,” says Alejandro. His colleagues nod in agreement.

“There are no words to describe the gratitude the people have shown us,” the firefighters say. They have the peace of mind of those who can sleep soundly despite being surrounded by cracks. They will remain in the memory of every resident of Granada who, as time goes by, remembers that the Granada Fire Brigade were there.