CONCORD, N.C. — A Concord firefighter with a heart to help others is making a difference in the fire service for Latin American countries.

Gilberto Meza-Corral first learned of a fatal fire in Paraguay in 2015. 

What You Need To Know

  •  Gilberto Meza-Corral first learned of a fatal fire in Paraguay in 2015

  • United Firefighting Training Network, established in Aug. 2023, provides education, equipment and training to fire departments in need 

  • Outdated equipment from the United States has been shipped to Paraguay to provide firefighters with the tools they need to protect themselves from life threatening conditions

“The guys fall into the silo because they didn’t have personal protection equipment. They didn’t have a breathing apparatus they were kind of in plain clothes," Meza-Corral said. 

He describes feeling discouraged and upset after first learning of what happened, and says the fire service is a brotherhood that crosses state and international lines. 

“So I read the article and it says South America, Paraguay. Thirty-five hundred miles away from home, but what it got me is that the son of a fire chief died in that incident,” Meza-Corral said. 

Gilberto reached out to the rural fire department in Paraguay to share his condolences and offer any help they needed. He learned quickly that the deaths from that silo fire could have been prevented with proper equipment and training. 

That inspired him to connect them with resources to build back their department in ways that would keep them safe on the job. His department in Concord and others across the country wanted to help as well. 

“We were able to secure and locate hundreds and hundreds of surplus equipment that for the United States is outdated more than 10 years. We were able to secure, pack and ship and send it to South America,” he said. 

Those shipments include helmets, gloves, hood protections and jackets. But that’s not all. Gilberto says he put boots on the ground in Paraguay to provide life saving training to the men and women there. 

“We were in Paraguay, five instructors from the United States. So yes, we saw first-hand we were able to change a community of firefighters so they will be able to provide care effectively and efficiently,” Meza-Corral said. 

One year ago, Gilberto was able to establish the United Firefighting Training Network. This nonprofit organization is co-founded by two other members of the fire service who share Gilberto's passion for providing education, equipment and training to departments in need. His goal is to leave the fire service better than it was when he began his career. 

In August, Gilberto welcomed the president of the Volunteer Firefighter Association of Paraguay to North Carolina to see how fire departments here train for emergencies.