In a show of international cooperation, six countries from the hemisphere gathered in Honduras to participate in the 19th iteration of CENTAM SMOKE, a civilian and military rescue exercise led by the U.S. Air Force’s 612th Squadron, part of Joint Task Force Bravo, at Soto Cano Air Base, in Comayagua.
Thirty-two participants from Belize, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Jamaica underwent rigorous emergency response and firefighting training, May 26-30, highlighting the critical importance of regional preparedness and mutual support and creating a melting pot of learning and camaraderie.
Standardization of emergency response
The intensive exercise focused on standardizing emergency response techniques in all participating countries. Participants successfully mastered physical and mental training while conducting advanced firefighting drills, pushing the limits of their professional capabilities.
Belize Defense Force Corporal Wilmer Hernández, his team’s leader, described the experience as transformative. “We learned new techniques, from handling fire hoses to calibrating nozzles,” he told Diálogo. “What we are experiencing here is fundamentally different from our training in Belize.”
Extreme conditions
Inside the training facility’s structural fire simulator, temperatures reached over 200 degrees Celsius. Firefighters and military personnel, equipped with heavy protective suits, faced highly challenging situations, including rescuing 80-kilogram mannequins from the flames, while instructors from the 612th Squadron watched closely and provided guidance.
“Before entering forest fires, CENTAM SMOKE participants began their training with basic techniques,” U.S. Air Force Captain Heather Clifton, the squadron’s fire chief, told Diálogo, highlighting the program’s systematic approach. “Participants must master fundamental firefighting and hazardous materials rescue skills before facing even greater dangers.”
International recognition and competition
For participants such as Colombian Army Lieutenant José Daniel Gamboa Zavala, the training represents a prestigious opportunity. “We are selected on merit,” he told Diálogo. “It’s not just a training program; it’s an opportunity to represent our country and learn from international colleagues.”
While Colombian teams had dominated friendly competitions in previous years, Jamaica took home the top prize in this edition of the event, underscoring the program’s competitive and collaborative spirit.
A broader mission
Beyond technical skills, CENTAM SMOKE has a deeper geopolitical purpose: to foster regional solidarity, share critical emergency response knowledge, and build lasting professional relationships across national borders.
As global climate challenges intensify, this type of collaborative training becomes increasingly vital, demonstrating the power of international cooperation to address common environmental and humanitarian risks.
“Participating in CENTAM SMOKE is a privilege,” Lt. Gamboa concluded. “The responsibility is enormous, first because we are representing our country, and second because we are standardizing disaster response knowledge with armies from other parts of the Americas and the Caribbean, so we can replicate all that learning and best practices with our colleagues in our countries.”
