One of the most important emergency trucks in the vehicle fleet of Chapala Fire Department and Civil Protection. Photo: File, Semanario Laguna.

Jazmín Stengel / D. Arturo Ortega – The Chapala Fire and Civil Protection Unit, or UPCB, worked 298 incidents during Operation Joy in Chapala, carried out between December 15 and January 6.

During this period, the Highway Department and the Chapala UPCB reported 27 accidents, three of which were rollovers, another three involved motorcycles and one was a driver pinned in his car. The remaining 20 were “regular” cases, according to the report.

Also reported were 33 pre-hospital care and four emergency transfers outside the municipality, in addition to the care of three deceased persons and four rescues, of which one was a water rescue. There were also 18 fires, seven of which resulted in material losses, according to the Chapala Fire Department report.

The amount of illegal pyrotechnics in the municipality has also decreased. In the first nine days of the operation, the UPCB reported seizing 14 kg of pyrotechnics, while in previous years they seized as much as 80 kilograms (2018-2019), as reported by Semanario Laguna in its January 6 edition.

The UPCB reported only three pyrotechnics seizures during the holiday season that extends from the December 12 fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe through the January 6 day of the Three Kings. Weyler Samuel Ruíz, in charge of the unit, said they added up to at most 250 grams of gunpowder. This is because the neutral material, such as paper and wood, is not included in the weight because the only illegal substance is the gunpowder, “and this is usually very little,” said Ruíz, referring to the amount contained in each rocket.

On the other hand, two businesses were reprimanded during the operation’s holidays, both for being open too late and allowing loud music over the decibel limit. Both businesses are in Ajijic and belong to the bar-cantina business.

Translated by Mike Rogers