Faces of San Miguel: Jesús Mercadillo, Putting Out Fires

By Natalie Taylor

Sometimes we lose sight of essential services we don’t use frequently; services that save our lives when needed. That is the case with our Bomberos—the firefighters of San Miguel de Allende.

August 22 is Día Nacional de los Bomberos in México—National Firefighters Day, honoring the men and women who save lives every day. Jesus Mercadillo is the founder and current president, and I interviewed him at the Centro de Bomberos next to Plaza del Conde. Friendly and chatty, Mercadillo was eager to show me the center and share the details of their beginnings almost 50 years ago.

The idea started in 1977 due to the lack of rescue services in the city, and was established as the Red Cross of San Miguel in a building that no longer exists, in the small plaza where a bust of Stirling Dickinson now stands. Two years later, the group split, with the Bomberos focusing on extinguishing fires as well as rescue and first aid.

Before this, San Miguel had no firefighting system. When a fire started, the local one-man fire extinguisher rushed to the scene with his burro—two large jars of water strapped to each side. In 1983, hoping to get a firetruck and help from the community, the firefighters of the nearby town of Salamanca were invited to demonstrate how they put out fires. The residents gathered as the stage was set before the Parroquia, with an old vehicle to be set on fire and then extinguished. The fire-fighting man and his burro arrived on the scene, but the animal tripped, fell, and the two jars came crashing down. Broken ceramic pieces and water spilled on the cobblestones as the public let out a communal gasp. The inefficiency of the old system could not have been better demonstrated if planned!

The Salamanca firetruck pulled up, and then, as the doors opened, a gray rabbit jumped out. The stowaway ran toward the Jardin, scrambling through the crowd as people attempted to catch it. Finally, the mayor captured the animal to the delight of all. After this most entertaining beginning, the old car was set on fire, and the visiting firefighters quickly extinguished the flames. The San Miguel population agreed that it was important to have a proper firefighting unit in the city; the rabbit became their mascot.

Although the inaugural event was highly amusing, there is nothing funny about fires and the work of firefighters. Jesus Mercadillo began with the creation of the city’s first fire department, but did not stop with that. Over the next decades, through dedication and a few fortuitous events, the department has grown in scale and proficiency. One time, Mercadillo rescued a man’s car that had gone over a ravine, and when he refused to take any payment, the man handed him a card telling Mercadillo to call if he ever needed help.

In 1983, the city donated an empty lot, and the state of Guanajuato promised 50 percent of funding for construction. Mercadillo needed the balance. Getting dressed one morning, a card fell from one of his pockets, where it had lain for a few years. On a whim, Mercadillo called, and the man he had rescued answered. He held a high post in the federal government and happily facilitated the balance needed. Thus was born the current Centro de Bomberos, a modern facility that serves San Miguel with state-of-the-art technology. After years of requesting additional vehicles, the Bomberos received a new firetruck thanks to a woman in government who agreed to help back in 2021. Her name was Dennise Muñoz Ledo, and she is now the governor of Guanajuato—the first woman in that position. Fulfilling her promise, she had the state provide a brand new, up-to-date firetruck in April of this year, and it carries her name.

The Centro de Bomberos is an impressive facility with a monitoring room where 911 calls are received and multiple live TV screens displaying the locations of emergencies. When a call comes in, firefighters on duty 24/7 are immediately alerted through a phone network and respond to indicate their availability. Those nearby quickly head to the scene. The firefighters are volunteers, and most have other jobs, but they are always on call and ready to help the people of San Miguel. They deserve our gratitude for their dedication and skill; our lives truly depend on them.

To read a complete account of the Bomberos of San Miguel de Allende, please go to: www.natalietaylor.org