A female firefighter from the El Salvador Fire Department sent its first female firefighter to participate in CENTAM SMOKE at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, from April 22-26, 2024.
El Salvador has been participating in CENTAM SMOKE since 2007, but in this iteration, El Salvador sent a female firefighter, increasing female participation in the multinational exercise to 18 percent.
Yoselin Alejandra Orellana Ramos, a Salvadoran Firefighter II, whose firefighting experience started just under three years ago expressed her gratitude to the department for the opportunity.
“I am extremely grateful to God and the institution for the enormous privilege of being the first woman to participate in such activity,” said Orellana.
Orellana represented female firefighters along with two Guatemalan and three Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 612th Air Base Squadron (ABS) female firefighters at CENTAM SMOKE.
During CENTAM SMOKE, Orellana additionally trained with firefighters from Jamaica, Colombia, and Honduras on vehicle extrication, rescue tactics, techniques and procedures, and structural live fire training.
Throughout the training, Orellana supported her fellow Salvadoran firefighters and received overwhelming support in return.
“They are extremely supportive, and they trust in my ability to carry out such activities,” said Orellana.
Not only were her teammates supportive, so was the female firefighters of the 612th ABS.
“Orellana was a great ambassador — one of the hardest working people in the class,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Ashley Eisenbarth, a firefighter assigned to the 612th ABS. “It’s fantastic to see such a strong female presence like her during our exercises.”
Females in firefighting are bringing different perspectives, skills, and experiences to departments creating a more inclusive and supportive work environment for everyone.
Orellana urges women who are interested to join the firefighter career field and, in the future, they too will get the opportunity to attend CENTAM SMOKE.
The knowledge acquired during this exercise will allow her to aide her department and to be able to rapidly respond to fires and rescue emergencies.
A safe, stable Central America is dependent on multinational exercises like CENTAM SMOKE that increases interoperability and builds combined partner capabilities.