As we celebrate Chile’s firefighters, we want to highlight their importance in emergency management. They have evolved hand in hand with technology, maintaining an excellent service and becoming one of the most highly valued institutions in the country.
Every June 30, Chile celebrates National Firefighters’ Day, because on that date in 1851 the country’s first fire department was founded in the Valparaíso region. This commemoration was officially established in 1962 by the then President of the Republic, Jorge Alessandri.
Firefighters have had a positive impact on many areas of our society. Their tireless work in fire prevention and firefighting, rescues and emergency response has made them fundamental pillars of our safety.
And for us at VIPER it is even more special, because it was in their fire stations that our founders met and where they understood the value of fast, accurate solutions when it comes to saving lives, something that over time would become the company’s purpose.
“It is a huge school of human relationships, friendship, commitment to others and technical knowledge. And you always stay ready to help; you never look the other way in an emergency again. It is a learned value and an exercise in commitment,” says Camilo Salazar, our COO and founder.
From the old siren to emergency notifications
Over the years, firefighters have evolved to provide a better service to the community. Today we see them with special gear, cameras, electric engines and also digital channels to communicate with each other and receive emergency calls. This last point has seen remarkable changes.
“I remember the fire station siren going off at night, an old siren like the German ones that warned of air raids. My father would turn on his SEIWA radio, get dressed and drive off. A while later the phone would ring: it was the station taking roll call and reporting the fire, and we would wake up again. Although, of course, we didn’t sleep until we heard the car and my father come back,” our COO tells us about his family experience.
Thanks to technologies like those provided by VIPER, volunteers can now receive targeted alerts on their phones in real time, with all the information they need, including the location of the emergency on a map and the nearest water sources, among other details.
Since we were founded a decade ago, we have expanded our presence in fire departments across the country and, at the same time, gone from being an app to becoming a comprehensive suite of communication tools that cover different emergency needs. In doing so, we have helped reduce response times and optimize resource coordination, so help can arrive as quickly as possible to save lives.
Looking ahead, the natural next step would be to keep incorporating artificial intelligence into their operations, which has already been tested successfully for wildfire forecasting. “For our part, we are planning an AI-powered dispatch system that further optimizes reaction time and organizes all the available information in a simple way,” Salazar concluded.
This synergy between the institution’s experience and human courage and technological progress is a tangible example of how innovation can strengthen service to the community and, most importantly, save lives.