We are in Chile, more specifically in Santiago, almost two centuries ago.
In 1893, the 11th Fire Brigade was founded; initially, it was not Italian, and it was not until 21 years later that a highly patriotic son of Italian parents set about establishing it.
It is not unusual, in fact; in Santiago there are many VF companies set up by immigrants from various parts of the world, and so Riccardo Federici Botto, after three years with the 12th company, set about opening an all-Italian one.
In 1914, Riccardo set about collecting signatures throughout the Italian community; naturally, there were plenty of problems to resolve. One of these was getting all the Italian immigrant societies to understand the importance of establishing this Company. As problems never come alone, the German community also set its sights on the Eleventh Company – the very one Riccardo hoped to reactivate – with a view to setting up their own fire brigade.
After a long struggle and a constant search for support within the Italian community in Chile, the verdict came on 3 June 1914.
Everyone was waiting outside the capital’s Fire Brigade headquarters, and so the celebrations began, as the 11th Fire Brigade of Santiago de Chile is known as the “Pompa Italia”.
From then until now, these firefighters, with their unique origins, have carried out their work with dedication and passion, both as volunteers and as professionals.
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