On property donated by the López Baytala family, the firefighter institution began to develop the long-awaited project.
In order to serve a large sector of the city more promptly, the Popayán Volunteer Fire Department had been planning the construction of a station in the northwest, a desire that began to materialize with the donation made by the López Baytala family of a plot of land on the northern variant, a sector of great growth, in which traffic accidents and other events are often registered, which must be attended in the shortest possible time. However, with the volume of traffic and the lack of roads to the north of the city, the movement of machines and units from the central headquarters, in the Modelo neighborhood, was slowing down.
On Monday, June 5, the inauguration of the Gustavo López Navia Northwestern Fire Station took place, beginning the development of this new firefighter headquarters, at an equidistant point to serve, especially, communes two and nine, which are densely populated , according to what Second Lieutenant Francisco José Arboleda Hartmann, commander of that institution, told this website, who thanked the López Baytala family for their generosity, because thanks to this altruistic gesture the community of that vast area of the city will have an effective fire service .
Likewise, Mrs. Emy Baytala de López and her son, businessman Gustavo López Baytala, were excited and pleased with the contribution they made, not only to the Fire Department, but also to the community and to Popayán.
For López Baytala, the donation of the property is a tribute to the memory of his father, Gustavo López Navia, whose philanthropy he highlighted precisely. “He was a man who thought of the community, without pettiness or selfishness. As a Catholic, he believed in helping others and contributing to noble causes, hence the donation to an organization like the Popayán Volunteer Fire Department, which works in favor of all, with absolute disinterest, whose members sacrifice themselves and sacrifice not only their time, but that of their families”, he commented to this portal.
He added that this new fire station was needed by the city. We discussed this at the time with Captain Juan Carlos Gañán, when he was the commander, who, between a joke and a joke, proposed it to me. “Why don’t you give us a little piece, he told me; because it’s not mine, I replied, I must talk to my family, as I did and they agreed and the donation materialized. Upon completing his term, Captain Gañán rightly handed him over to Second Lieutenant Francisco Arboleda Hartmann, the new commander, who, with vision, temper and ability, has started this work”.
From this first foundation of the project, the Payanés businessman affirmed that he felt very proud. He did not want to refer to what the property could cost in monetary terms, because he said that the love for the institution and the city are priceless.
In addition, he recalled his time as an infant firefighter, when José Joaquín Salas Lezaca was commander. Many of his colleagues from that time followed the firefighter career.
“An early challenge”
For his part, Commander Francisco José Arboleda Hatmann, who at 34 years of age was elected commander of the Popayán Fire Department last November, told the newspaper La Campana that for his institution it is a dream that is beginning to come true, because as soon as it is starting; however, he pointed out that, from the moment the project was inaugurated, on June 5, the North Station was put into service in containers.
“It’s wonderful for us to be able to get to where they need us faster, and we did. That’s an early challenge that I wanted to take on as a commander. We started operations, thanks to the mettle and commitment of firefighter Javier Fernández, who was on the property for three months to start the project, for him all the gratitude and recognition, because he pimped me, that’s why this station has been inaugurated,” he said. .
LC What did the Fire Station begin to attend to in its provisional installation?
J.F.A.H. First of all, to provide the service with all the capacity we have at the central station. Everything is duplicated, we have the same number of personnel, the same equipment, but in addition to that, it will serve as a work camp for the final station on the same property, which is in the licensing process in the urban curatorship. Then, when the construction is ready, in a year, the temporary station will be dismantled.
Likewise, this station has a fire extinguishing machine, equipped with all the vehicular rescue and extrication equipment to untrap people, especially in this variant where traffic accidents frequently occur; also an ambulance and a machine to attend forest fires.
LC What population will be served by the northwestern Popayán Fire Station?
J.F. A.H. Mainly two densely populated communes, such as Dos, which includes the neighborhoods, from the north stone upwards (Bello Horizonte, La Paz, Santiago de Cali, Villa del Viento, Bella Vista), among others, and the Nueve commune, which It is the second most populated, with neighborhoods such as Los Naranjos, Lomas de Granada, that is, the entire western sector of Popayán. The new station is equidistant from these two sectors and, for us firefighters, it will be very important to arrive more quickly to meet the needs of the communities.
LC What does the donation of the lot by the López Baytala family mean for your institution?
JFAH Without the generosity of the López Baytala family, it would not be possible to build a station for a large sector of the city. The institution asked the Mayor’s Office to leave a property on loan, but it was not possible.
One can donate an old pants or a new one. In this case, the López Baytala family took one of their most beautiful, best located lots and donated it to the Fire Department, they gave it to Popayán, to the community. Without his altruism it would have been impossible to materialize this firefighter dream.
LC So far, how much has Popayán firefighters invested in this new station?
J.F.A.H. In this project, the Fire Department has invested $200 million in land preparation, aqueduct connection, electric power and other elements. In the remainder of the year and the beginning of 2024, $960 million will be invested in the structure, until it reaches gray works.
LC Where do the resources for this investment come from?
J.F.A.H. The works are financed with the resources derived from the surtax that taxpayers pay in the unified property tax, which are managed through the Municipal Administration. On April 20, the Fire Department received the first payment of the year for the firefighter surcharge, with a collection of $390 million, and on June 5, the day the station was inaugurated, the turnover was $305 million. Another source comes from the Bomberil Institution’s own resources.
