Rosarito Beach Mayor Rocío Adame Muñoz fired fire department director Francisco Joaquín Mercado De Santiago on July 9 after weeks of protests by firefighters who accused him of lacking emergency response experience and putting lives at risk during operations.
The removal came after firefighters escalated their campaign that morning by chaining shut the offices of the Civil Protection and Fire Department. Mayor Adame Muñoz agreed to dismiss Mercado De Santiago during a formal city council session later that day.
Protests Date Back to Early June
Firefighters first raised alarms on June 9, publicly denouncing critical shortages of vehicles, rescue equipment, and personnel. In mid-June, crews gathered at the Municipal Palace to call attention to the department’s deteriorating fleet, with fire engines, ambulances, and rescue units sidelined by mechanical failures.
Rosarito’s fire department has long operated with fewer than 100 firefighters, a mix of full-time and volunteer staff. The city’s rapid residential growth, tourist traffic, and expanding construction have created more territory and more emergency calls than the department can comfortably cover.
City Council Approves New Equipment Funding
At the same session, the city council approved 3.256 million pesos (roughly $163,000 USD) to purchase three new fire units. Council members also authorized the sale of surplus municipal vehicles to fund additional equipment needs.
The funding addresses some of the complaints firefighters had raised for weeks. Crews had warned that mechanical breakdowns were taking vehicles out of service at a time when the department needed every truck available. Fire emergencies are measured in minutes, and even a minor mechanical issue can remove a critical unit from the response rotation.
Department Now Operating Without a Permanent Chief
No replacement director has been named. The department is currently operating without permanent leadership while the city searches for a qualified candidate. Firefighters had specifically criticized Mercado De Santiago for lacking hands-on experience in emergency response, a gap they said created dangerous situations during fire suppression operations.
Rosarito’s fire readiness has been a recurring concern. In 2019, wildfires destroyed more than 60 houses and killed at least three people in the city, exposing the limitations of its small department and difficult terrain. The current transition period leaves the department in a vulnerable position as the city works to fill the leadership vacancy and bring new equipment online.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte.