Volunteer firefighting has existed continuously in Chile since 1850. In Santiago, the British community has long expressed that tradition through the 14th Fire Company, which today responds to an average of 1,100 emergencies a year, from fires to rescues, as an active part of the city's everyday life.
Preserving the company's first fire truck is more than a technical restoration: it is a genuine contribution to the city's heritage and a tangible link for new generations to a chapter of Santiago's history that would otherwise fade from view.
The project
The project restores a unique Leyland fire truck, in service in Santiago between 1963 and 1980, that took part in real rescue operations, including mining accidents and river floods, and helped extinguish major fires across the city during that period. Its restoration is a genuine act of cultural heritage preservation for the country.
Once restored, the truck becomes part of what thousands of people already encounter when they visit the 14th Company's headquarters, both during public Heritage Day events and through the regular visits of schools and kindergartens, helping instil the value of volunteer community service that firefighters give to the city.
Who the project is for
The project's direct beneficiaries are the thousands of people who visit the 14th Company's historic headquarters each year, including schoolchildren and families, who learn about volunteer firefighting and the city's own history through the restored truck.
Project name: RESTAURACION PATRIMONIAL DE CARROBOMBA LEYLAND, UNICO EN EL MUNDO
Proposing organisation: Fundacion Decimo Cuarta Compañia The British & Commonwealth Fire Company Foundation
Area of intervention: Environment & Sustainable Communities
Country: Chile