Firefighters in Iquique, Chile put their lives in danger every day to serve the community, but it is their heartfelt tribute to a four-legged employee who passed away last week that has garnered them international attention.
Negro, the gentle dog, stayed with the Iquique Fire Department for more than ten years. When the station dog, Negro kept an eye on things as the firemen responded to emergency calls and was ready to welcome them back to the station with a wagging tail.
Undoubtedly, Black’s presence at the station helped the firemen decompress after doing their sometimes hazardous work. The years of Negro’s devotion, however, regrettably, came to an end.
Negro participated in camaraderie dinners, official ceremonies, even company academies and the Crispin Reyes youth brigade, where cadets and applicants who are already professional volunteers were trained and who today recall it with love and nostalgia. Negro was not only in charge of protecting the barracks while the officers and volunteers fought the flames or worked on one or another rescue.
It was revealed last Tuesday that Negro, the loyal dog, had passed away at the age of 14 following a time during which his health had gotten worse.
On Facebook, the fire department posted:
“Today in the morning a tough choice was taken as a Company, and at 6:20 this evening, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, one of our ranks, our devoted four-legged Firefighter, left this world. Thank you very much for all the years you were with us, Black.
However, Negro’s coworkers honor him in more ways than just words. The board of directors for the department made the decision to elevate the dog to the position of “honorary firefighter.”
The fire department arranged an honor guard funeral for Black in addition to a ceremony to bid farewell to the devoted buddy.
