Lonestar Bomberos provides fire equipment to countries in need in Latin America

Arlington Deputy Fire Chief Pedro Arevalo helps to fill needs of fellow firefighters

Londy Ramirez, Staff Writer • October 19, 2023

El subjefe de bomberos de Arlington, Pedro Arévalo, y sus colegas lanzaron los Lonestar Bomberos para ayudar a los bomberos en América Latina.

Londy Ramirez

ARLINGTON, Texas–Arlington Deputy Fire Chief Pedro Arevalo and other firefighters decided to help fellow firefighters in other countries after a visit to San Julián, Jalisco, Mexico, where they saw the state of the gear their colleagues were using.

“I saw their fire gear, and it was torn,” Arevalo said. “It was old. It was like 30 years old, and here in the United States, it’s kind of like food. It has an expiration because of the laws and regulations.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire gear and equipment have to be retired after 10 years past their manufacture date and get destroyed.

Arlington Deputy Fire Chief Pedro Arevalo behind the wheel of an emergency vehicle. (Londy Ramirez)

Arevalo saw an opportunity to help firefighters in Mexico and all of Latin America.

“A lot of this gear is still in perfectly good condition and still keeps people safe,” Arevalo said. “We can provide this to somewhere in Latin America that can’t afford it and doesn’t have the money from the government to buy these specialty equipment. So, we started this program and started out small.”

In 2019, the Lonestar Bomberos organization started. They started first in Jalisco, Mexico, then grew to Guanajuato, Mexico, and about 90 more places in Mexico. They have also donated to firefighters in Ecuador, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and are working with Colombia and Peru.

The Lonestar Bomberos believe it is important to do more than provide equipment, Arevalo said.

“We don’t just provide equipment,” Arevalo said. “We also provide training on the equipment or training and firefighting. Stuff that they wouldn’t ever be able to get. We donated three fire engines to Mexico. We’re going to do another one here next month.”

They have teamed with a number of local and international organizations to help host online training opportunities, including livestream courses that allow firefighters from all over to join. It allows departments from all over to participate and gain knowledge from each other, bringing together firefighters who wouldn’t have otherwise collaborated.

All the equipment they received is from all over Texas and the U.S.

Donations of equipment like tools, fire hoses, nozzles and personal equipment like structural and wildland gear, boots, helmets and bottles can be donated by going to https://www.lonestarbomberos.org/donations and filling out the form. Monetary donations and other type of donations are welcome as well.

Arlington Deputy Fire Chief Pedro Arevalo said the used fire gear the Lonestar Bomberos provide to firefighters in Latin America “is still in perfectly good condition and still keeps people safe.” (Londy Ramirez)

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