Rosarito’s municipal firefighters forced the removal of Fire Director Francisco Joaquín Mercado de Santiago on Thursday after occupying their own station and chaining shut its doors to demand his ouster. Mayor Rocío Adame Muñoz announced the firing during a Thursday afternoon city council session, ending weeks of escalating protests over broken equipment, injuries, and a director with no firefighting experience.
About 30 firefighters gathered at the central fire and civil protection headquarters on Calle Chihuahua in Colonia Constitución starting at 8:00 a.m. Thursday. They padlocked the building’s entrances and rallied under the cry “Fuera Mercado!” (Mercado Out). The protest was peaceful but firm: crews refused to leave until the city acted.
Injuries, Broken Trucks, and No Plan
Captain José Tapia, who led the protest, laid out the firefighters’ complaints. Two crew members suffered serious injuries attributed to chronic understaffing and overwork: one fractured an elbow, and another tore a rotator cuff. “There is no personnel,” Tapia told local media.
Multiple emergency vehicles remain out of service. Tapia described trucks whose transmissions fail mid-call and a supervisor’s vehicle that lost its brakes entirely. “Those are the conditions we’re working under,” he said. The firefighters argued that Mercado de Santiago, a former Morena party councilman from Tecate, lacked any technical rescue background and had failed to produce a coherent operational plan since taking office.
City Tried a Compromise, Firefighters Refused
Before agreeing to remove Mercado de Santiago, the Adame Muñoz administration proposed installing a coordinator to serve as a go-between linking the director and crews. The firefighters rejected that option unanimously. Héctor Manzo, Rosarito’s Secretary of Public Safety, confirmed the failed compromise. “They were offered a coordinator who would act as a mediator between the director and the firefighters, and they refused,” Manzo said.
Only full removal satisfied the crews. The city agreed and activated an interim leadership arrangement to keep emergency services running. Manzo said authorities committed to naming a permanent replacement within three days, with a focus on candidates who have actual technical experience in fire and emergency response.
What It Means for Rosarito’s Emergency Response
Rosarito’s fire department covers the coastal hotel corridor, beach zones, and inland colonias where thousands of American and Canadian residents live year-round. The city’s population swells during summer tourist season, putting extra strain on already depleted resources. No timeline has been announced for repairing the fleet of disabled emergency vehicles or addressing the staffing shortages that led to the injuries.
Tapia said the firefighters’ goal was straightforward: a safe, functional department. “We want to ensure a dignified service for the people of Rosarito and to return home in one piece,” he said. The story was first reported by Gringo Gazette North and Tijuana en Línea.